“I am Meng Zijun, do you remember me?” Same day in last year, I was lying in the Intensive Care Unit, but today I wrote to you at home, it is you and other people’s help that I can survive...”. This is a handwritten letter from a 7-year-old boy from Yumen, Gansu Province, received by Tao Zhongbin, deputy director of pediatric PICU of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University on New Year’s day in 2018. Tao Zhongbin felt so warm. After he finished his work, he replied to the boy’s father to encourage the child to study hard and recover as soon as possible.

    Since then, every year before New Year’s day or the Spring Festival, Tao Zhongbin will receive a handwritten letter “New Year’s greetings” from Meng Zijun. He will often reply the letter, exchange recent situations, encourage the boy, and they become a special pair of “doctor-patient pen friends” for five or six years.

    It turned out that in the summer of 2017, 7-year-old Meng Zijun was transferred to the First Hospital of Lanzhou University for pediatric treatment due to acute renal failure. By August 2018, he had been hospitalized five times a year and finally fully recovered under the full treatment of medical staff. At present, he lives and studies normally.

    On the new year’s day of 2019, Meng Zijun wrote in pencil: “I often went to the hospital at this time last year. This year, I fully recovered under your treatment. Thank you and all doctors and nurses for wishing you happy new year.”

    On New Year’s day in 2020, Meng Zijun told Tao Zhongbin that he was in grade three, and he scored 96 in Chinese, 98.5 in mathematics and 100 in English. At the end of the letter, Meng Zijun also mentioned that he will study hard and become a doctor who will help the dying and the wounded in the future.

    In 2021, Meng Zijun was 11 years old. On New Year’s day that year, in his new year’s letter to Tao Zhongbin, he not only reported his academic achievements, but also thanked Tao Zhongbin for his reply. He said: “you saved me, I am very grateful! You care about me in your busy schedule, I am very moved!”

    On New Year’s day in 2022, Tao Zhongbin received another letter from 12-year-old Meng Zijun. With the growth of age, the boy can write a full page with blue pen this year. “The memories in the hospital are painful and tasteless, but the smiling faces of you and your colleagues make the cold ward full of joy, vitality and hope...”

    In this year’s letter, Meng Zijun also confided to Dr. Tao that his examination results this year were not ideal, and he felt guilty. However, he was full of confidence in the new year and wrote: “the new year is coming, and another spring festival is not far away. I am here to wish you, the staff of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University and your family an early New Year!” In his reply, Tao Zhongbin patiently encourage him: one time’s scores show nothing. As long as you study hard, you will get better results next time, and a good attitude will bring good luck.

    A “letter” exchange records a story of saving the lives and healing the wounded, and conveys the sincere feelings of doctors and patients. Tao Zhongbin said that the doctor’s greatest sense of achievement comes from every recovered patient saying, “I’m fine now, thank you!”

By Nan Ru Zhuo Ma / Xiong Yanyan 

Edited by Office of International Cooperation and Communication