7
School started soon.
Besides classes and meals, I worked part-
time.
I helped serve lunch in the cafeteria for free
meals.
At night, I shelved books in the library,
earning fifteen dollars an hour, about six
hundred a month.
One afternoon, rushing to the cafeteria, I was
stopped by my exhausted parents.
Before they could speak, Mom knelt down,
embracing my ankles.
“Carolyn, our matches failed, only you can
save Lily! Come to the hospital with us for a
blood test, okay?”
Seeing my stiffness, she and Dad knelt
together.
Dad’s voice was hoarse.
“Carolyn, you know we said those things in
anger, don’t take them seriously! You’re our
daughter too, how can family be bought for
two thousand dollars!”
“Just donate bone marrow, and you name the
price.”
“Cars, houses, money? Dad can give you
anything.”
Our commotion attracted onlookers,
whispering:
“She won’t even donate blood, so selfish!” “Yeah! Bone marrow regenerates, it’s not like donating a liver or kidney, why be so
heartless?”
A teacher sighed,
“Sigh, times are changing! I saw news about kids beating up their parents, cyberbullying
their mothers, and now this… unbelievable!”
“Yeah, does she have to force her parents to beg?”
Hearing this, Mom knocked her head on the
ground.
Again and again.
Until her forehead bled.
The criticism intensified.
But I didn’t care, shaking my head firmly.
“It’s not that I don’t want to donate. but you
“It’s not that I don’t want to donate, but you
can’t give me what I want.”
“What do you want?! Your parents are
practically giving you their lives!”
A boy pointed at me, righteously rebuking me.
He helped my parents up, “Uncle, Aunt, stop
arguing with her, let’s take her to the hospital,
we’ll help you!”
Mom gratefully held his hand, nodding.
I was forced into a car to the hospital.
As expected, I was a match, but the doctor
refused the donation.
“The patient’s family, we’re not refusing to
treat, but severe anemia is an absolute
contraindication for bone marrow donation!”
The doctor pointed to the report.
“Her hemoglobin is less than half of normal.”
“Hemoglobin is the main component of red
blood cells, bone marrow donation is actually
donating hematopoietic stem cells, which are
く
the precursor cells of red blood cells.”
“She’s a patient too! Forcing a patient to
donate bone marrow is very risky, fainting or
shock are minor. Her immune system could
collapse!”
Mom clutched her chest, collapsing against
the wall.
“Why not…? Lily, Lily is dying!”
Dad helped her to a chair, his head down,
asking the doctor:
“Please understand our feelings. My other
daughter has late–stage leukemia, she can’t
wait! Think of a way, no matter how much it
costs, to get her hemoglobin levels up.”
The doctor looked at my pale, thin face and
shook his head.
“Why is she anemic, you don’t know? It’s not
about money! Let her eat properly, a
balanced diet of meat, eggs, milk, and
vegetables. We can only give her supplements
to help her recover faster.”
Dad anxiously asked: “How long will it take?
Can we get more supplements, the most
expensive ones!”
The doctor frowned, closed the file, and put
his pen back in his pocket.
“Three to four months at best, please be
patient.”
Mom stood up and stumbled towards the
doctor.
“It has to be done! She must donate! My Lily
can’t wait three months!”
Her eyes burned with determination.
A fierce determination to save Lily at any
cost.
The unconditional love I craved but never had.
