A Desperate Search for Hope
Before coming to Beijing, Abu (pseudonym) and his family had already endured a long medical journey in Australia. In March 2025, the 14-year-old was diagnosed with Early T-cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ETP-ALL) — a high-risk, aggressive subtype that progresses rapidly.
Abu underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and even CAR-T cell therapy in Australia. Yet the disease relapsed again and again — not only in the bone marrow, but also in multiple extramedullary sites. Each time, treatment reached a dead end. Making matters worse, severe chemotherapy-induced neuropathy made it difficult for him to walk. His body grew weaker, and his smile faded.
Local doctors recommended transplantation as the only path forward. They proposed a matched sibling transplant, but with a high risk of relapse. Abu's parents refused to give up. They started searching online for better options. When they discovered the "Beijing Protocol" for haploidentical transplantation — which could effectively reduce relapse rates in high-risk, refractory leukemia — a light appeared at the end of the tunnel.
Following this lead, Beijing Jingdu Children's Hospital came into view. "We've achieved remarkable results in pediatric leukemia and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation," Dr. Xiao Juan later recalled. Upon seeing this, the family made their decision without hesitation: go to Beijing. It was their last hope.
Dr. Xiao Juan and the family — a bond built across continents
Arrival: Entrusting a Life
On December 21, 2025, Abu and his family arrived at Beijing Jingdu Children's Hospital. Under the leadership of Prof. Wu Minyuan (Distinguished Expert, State Council Special Allowance recipient) and Prof. Sun Yuan (President & Head of Hematology-Oncology), the expert team rapidly conducted a comprehensive evaluation.
Abu's condition was extremely complex: multiple treatment failures, severe neuropathy, physical weakness, gastrointestinal dysfunction. But the team quickly reached consensus — hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was the only potential cure, and it needed to happen quickly.
After individualized consultation, a multidisciplinary team led by Dr. Liu Zhouyang, Dr. Xiao Juan, and Dr. Chen Jiao developed a meticulous haploidentical transplant plan. Abu's father would be the donor — HLA 6/10 match.
The family signed the informed consent without hesitation. They placed their son's life in the hands of doctors they had just met, in a country thousands of miles from home.
In the warm glow of Christmas, Jingdu's medical and administrative staff gathered around Abu with laughter, encouragement, and heartfelt blessings
Days and Nights in the Transplant Unit
On December 30, 2025, Abu began pre-transplant conditioning — full brain-spine radiotherapy, testicular radiotherapy, chemotherapy. Every step was walked on thin ice. During conditioning, he experienced vomiting, diarrhea, and skin soft tissue infections, but the team caught and managed each complication swiftly.
Dr. Xiao Juan and Dr. Chen Jiao performing bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell collection from Abu's father
January 15, 2026 — the father's bone marrow was infused into Abu.
January 16, 2026 — peripheral blood stem cells followed.
The team also administered an additional unit of unrelated cord blood as an extra safety measure.
Remarkably, the transplant proceeded relatively smoothly. Abu experienced only mild graft-versus-host disease (skin) and a brief cytomegalovirus infection. Under the team's precise treatment and attentive care, these complications were quickly brought under control.
A nurse gently infuses cord blood. Warm blood flows through the line — silent, yet speaking: "Don't be afraid. I'm here."
Beyond the medical complexity, language was another barrier. Abu's family could speak some simple Chinese, but medical terminology and daily communication remained challenging. Nurses learned to communicate with simple words, gestures, and drawings. During rounds, doctors deliberately slowed down and double-checked understanding. Social workers, volunteers, and colleagues from the International Patient Department stepped in to help with payments, food, daily necessities — every little detail.
"We bought food for him, helped with paperwork — just like we would for our own child."
"How to overcome the language barrier? How to build his confidence? How to manage one complication after another? From doctors to nurses, from social workers to the international department — everyone was dedicated, everyone gave it their all."
Abu's grandmother sent a long thank-you message: words of gratitude that crossed continents
Dawn: The Light of New Life
Under meticulous medical care and comprehensive humanistic support, everything moved in the right direction:
This meant the father's hematopoietic stem cells had fully taken root in Abu's body. A brand-new immune system was being rebuilt.
After leaving the transplant unit, Abu's bilateral foot neuropathy gradually improved. From being unable to walk, to standing, to taking steps — and finally, to boarding a flight back home.
Left: Abu with Dr. Xiao Juan and Dr. Chen Jiao at discharge. Right: Abu arrives in Australia — reunited with his brother at the airport.
A Farewell Filled with Gratitude
On the day of discharge, that evening, Abu and his family flew back to Australia. Before departure, his grandmother sent a long thank-you message via WeChat — every word sincere and heartfelt. His mother repeatedly urged: "Please make sure our gratitude reaches everyone at the hospital. Our entire family thanks you for your care. We wish Jingdu continued success."
"Please make sure our gratitude reaches everyone at the hospital — the doctors, nurses, social workers, international department staff, everyone who helped us. We wish Jingdu continued success."
A family from Australia found hope in Beijing. This is not a fairy tale — it is a real story that unfolds every day at Beijing Jingdu Children's Hospital. From Prof. Wu Minyuan and Prof. Sun Yuan to Dr. Liu Zhouyang, Dr. Xiao Juan, and Dr. Chen Jiao; from every doctor in the transplant unit and hematology-oncology department to every nurse on the care team; from the International Patient Department to every volunteer — each person, in their role, guarded this family from afar.
Medicine knows no borders. Healers have compassion. Beijing Jingdu Children's Hospital will continue to protect every life entrusted to it — no matter where they come from, no matter how far the journey.