"Visit Tianjin, and you will see why I came for a short time, and stayed basically what will be for the rest of my life here," said Peter Mecoy, 59, who hails from Australia. He has been volunteering to donate blood for 16 years in north China's Tianjin Municipality.
"When I was in Australia, I used to be a regular blood donor," Mecoy said, "then when I moved here to China, I wanted to continue."
Mecoy first set foot in Tianjin in 1992. He quickly fell in love with the city with its combination of Chinese and Western cultures. The modest, friendly, and hardworking Chinese people moved him deeply.
But at that time, it was not allowed for foreigners to donate, until 2008, when he saw a Chinese and English leaflet about blood donation by chance. Without much delay, he donated blood at a nearby bloodmobile for the first time in China.
Mecoy also received the nickname "Panda Man" as his blood type is called "Panda blood" -- a rare blood type -- in China.
"It made me realize, the more I could donate, the more people I could help," Mecoy said.
After each donation, Mecoy would obtain a blood donation certification. "I collected a stack of them. These cards have witnessed my blood donation experiences. They are the most precious gifts to me," he said.
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