WUHAN, China – Wan Zeyang, a fifth-year student at Tongji Medical College of HUST, has drawn attention for his long hair—but neither for fashion nor cosmetic reasons. For three years, he patiently grew his hairs for a deeply personal reason: to donate them to cancer patients while give his gift of life through hematopoietic stem cell donation.

Wan’s journey began in 2022 when he joined HUST’s Youth Volunteer Association and learned about the China Marrow Donor Program. Inspired, he registered as a potential donor and promised to himself: “I will grow my hair long enough to donate it to leukemia patients who had lost theirs due to treatment.

In January 2025, while preparing for final exams, Wan received life-changing news: he was a match for a patient in need of a stem cell transplant. Without hesitation, he agreed to donate his stem cells. On March 18, after a rigorous medical process, he successfully donated 244 milliliters of stem cell suspension, and became the 709th donor of Hubei Province.

But his generosity didn’t stop there. Wan had been growing his hair since 2022, intending to donate it to an organization that makes wigs for cancer patients. "I contacted a Guangdong-based leukemia support group through the Red Cross," he explained. "They told me that the hair for making wigs has to be at least 30 centimeters long—so I never cut it."

His actions reflect a deeper philosophy. "A doctor’s duty is more than treating patients," Wan said. "Medical practice is about practicing morality." What Wan is doing is actually cultivating morality of a doctor.

Wan’s story has inspired his peers at Tongji Medical College of HUST. In fact, other six students have donated their stem cells in recent years. Now, he is ready to donate his hair in July, and his decision proves a saying: —Little things can sometimes mean a lot.