Ties with new hometown sealed

A chance encounter inspires a community to strengthen its bond with Keqiao

Rolling up his sleeves and extending his arm to donate blood has become a familiar ritual for Neeraj Punhani. For 12 years, the 49-year-old Indian has regularly joined blood donation drives in Keqiao district of Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, where he has lived for 23 years while running a textile import business that exports products to India.

It all began with a 12-year-old girl nicknamed Jia Jia. In December 2014, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Doctors said she would need blood transfusions and chemotherapy for a long time. The need for blood, coupled with mounting medical expenses, pushed her father, Wei Baoshi, who supported a family of five through odd jobs, to the brink of despair.