‘Ants biting all over body’: Chinese boy endures ‘excruciating’ bone marrow transplant to save mother with leukaemia

A 10-year-old boy in China underwent a painful surgery to donate bone marrow to his sick mother after extensive preparation since March

The boy took repeated doses of a stem cell drug that causes negative side effects described as ‘excruciating’ and ‘like having ants biting all over the body’

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A little Chinese boy’s determination to save his mother from Leukemia after he was found to be the only suitable bone marrow donor has touched millions in China. Photo: SCMP composite

Published: 9:00am, 31 Aug 2022

A Chinese boy who made headlines after giving 30 vials of blood to see if he was a bone marrow match with his mother who has leukaemia, has successfully undergone transplant surgery, his father has said.

Cao Xuanyi, a 10-year-old boy from Anhui province in eastern China, endured extensive and painful preparations since March this year, before the operation which was undertaken on Monday.

The boy’s father, Cao Song, 33, posted a video on Douyin asking his son just before the surgery: “Are you afraid or not?” In the video, Xuanyi firmly responds: “No!” and then makes a victory hand gesture.

Xuanyi arrived at the hospital at 7am on the day of the operation and received a final dose of a stem cell mobilisation drug which promotes a massive increase in the number of blood stem cells the body produces.

Xuanyi’s father previously described his son as ‘scared of pain’, but said his son never once complained during the intense, and at times painful preparation for the operation. Photo: Weibo

“I didn’t feel much pain when I took the last shot of the mobilisation drug, because I’m just glad I can save my mother now,” Xuanyi said in the video.