Thieu Tam Ho, 33, opened a barbecue stall in Hefei city, Anhui province, in mid-march. After only one month in business, he covered his stall and put up a sign announcing a 13-day closure due to "family matters" on 18/4.

Thieu later posted on social media, stating he was about to donate stem cells to a child "I have never met". He accepted the loss of prepared ingredients and 20,000 yuan (3,000 USD) in rent and employee wages.

Thieu Tam Ho at Anhui city hospital on 27/4, after successfully donating stem cells. Behind him is an electronic board displaying the date and the hospital's well wishes. Photo: Sina

Thieu’s post was widely shared on social media, garnering tens of thousands of likes and thousands of comments. He successfully donated stem cells to a three-year-old child suffering from leukemia on 27/4.

When Thieu reopened his stall on 1/5, the first day of China's five-day Labor Day holiday, he was astonished to find 60 groups of customers queuing. Some patrons said they had traveled from other provinces specifically to support Thieu’s business.

One individual, who flew and drove for seven hours from southwest China, expressed deep emotion at Thieu's actions and wished to meet him in person.

"Those willing to donate their stem cells must be trustworthy business owners," another customer remarked.

To accommodate the overwhelming number of customers, Thieu had to accelerate his plan to move to a nearby store, aiming to avoid disturbing neighboring businesses.

He also received assistance from the local restaurant and catering association, which lent him chefs and waiters to serve customers. Additionally, the Red Cross Society and the Blue Sky Rescue Team provided volunteer support.

Many customers expressed concern for Thieu's health. However, he stated that he only experienced symptoms like low blood sugar after the stem cell donation and has since made a full recovery.

Customers support Thieu Tam Ho's barbecue stall. Photo: Sina

Thieu feels fortunate to have received public attention and support, but he does not wish to become an internet influencer. Instead, he urged people to pay more attention to patients with leukemia.

"We still lack stem cell donors. From my personal experience, this is a safe procedure," Thieu said in an interview on 9/5.

He disclosed that he registered with the China Marrow Donor Program in 2019. As of 30/4, this non-profit program had nearly 3,8 million registered donors, with over 22,000 individuals having donated stem cells.

China's first stem cell donation from an unrelated volunteer took place in 1996. The number of donations reached 5,000 cases in 2015 and increased to 10,000 cases in 2020.

Hong Hanh (According to SCMP, Sina)