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In 2007, a 35-year-old man from Hebei Province, Lin Haiqiao, was diagnosed with acute leukemia, a devastating blow to his family. With no compatible donor among his relatives, Lin’s survival depended on finding a match in the national bone marrow registry. Against the odds, a match was found with 21-year-old Han Na, a college student from Harbin. Moved by the chance to save a life, Han agreed to donate her bone marrow, a decision she made despite her initial fears.
The donation was a success, and Lin’s health showed significant improvement after the transplant. Grateful for his "second chance at life," Lin and his wife Jiang Li sought to find and thank their savior. Through media outreach, they located Han and expressed their heartfelt gratitude, even recognizing her as their "adoptive sister." To show their appreciation, the couple provided financial support to Han, who came from a humble background, gifting her items such as jewelry, bags, and even arranging a job for her.
However, this bond of gratitude would soon unravel.
In 2008, Lin's leukemia relapsed, and his doctors recommended another bone marrow transplant. Desperate, Lin and Jiang turned to Han once more, pleading for a second donation. Initially, Han agreed to undergo compatibility testing. But during the process, she discovered she was pregnant. Concerned about the potential risks to her unborn child, Han made the difficult decision to decline the second donation.
Her refusal left Lin and his wife devastated. Jiang reportedly demanded that Han terminate her pregnancy to proceed with the donation. Han stood firm, citing her responsibility to her child and explaining that her previous donation had fulfilled her moral obligations.
This decision strained the relationship between the two parties. Unable to secure another donor, Lin's condition deteriorated rapidly, and he passed away later that year.
Grief-stricken and angry, Jiang filed a lawsuit against Han, demanding the return of gifts totaling 82,000 yuan (approximately $11,200 USD). Jiang argued that the gifts were given as a gesture of gratitude for Han's initial donation, and Han's refusal to provide further assistance invalidated the basis for their generosity.
The court ruled partially in Jiang’s favor, ordering Han to return the equivalent value of the gifts. The judge reasoned that the gifts were contingent on the initial act of donation, and Han had no obligation to donate again. Han appealed the ruling, but the second trial upheld the original decision.
The case has sparked heated debates online, with many questioning the ethical boundaries of donation and gratitude.
Some sympathized with Han, emphasizing that bone marrow donation is voluntary. “She risked her own health to save his life once. How can anyone demand more from her, let alone something as extreme as terminating her pregnancy?” one netizen wrote.
Others criticized Han for accepting expensive gifts if she wasn’t willing to help again. “If she truly wanted to keep things selfless, she should have refused the gifts in the first place,” another commenter argued.
Many also highlighted the tragedy of the situation. “This isn’t just about law or morality. It’s about two families torn apart by illness and desperation,” a netizen observed.
