Organ donation-themed play performed in Shanghai

The nation's first drama featuring organ donation theme was performed on stage Friday night.

The drama was developed based on a real event that took place in May 2020, when a man surnamed Ren from northwest China working for a ride-hailing platform fainted on a Shanghai street, according to Red Cross of China's Shanghai Office, which celebrated its 110th anniversary.

He later died but donated his heart, liver, kidneys and pancreas, benefiting five people with organ failures.

Ren's daughter was delivered in October with a serious cleft lip and palate. The Shanghai Human Organ Donation Office helped arrange medical treatment for the girl, and collected more than 160,000 yuan (US$25,000) in donations to cover medical expenses.

The drama has 15 sections to vividly show the entire process of organ donation and the devotion of Red Cross volunteers, donors, patients and medical staff.

Volunteers promoted organ donation outside the theater, and encouraged more people to participate.

There are 1.5 million people with organ failures in the nation and 300,000 of them need organ transplants. However, only about 10,000 people receive transplants annually due to a shortage of donations.

China kicked off a organ donation system in 2010 and Shanghai is among the first to participate the trial since 2012. By October, 910 people in Shanghai had donated organs, benefiting some 2,500 patients with organ failure and about 600 blind people. So far, nearly 70,000 people have signed organ donation agreements, according to the Shanghai Red Cross.

Moreover, there are more than 160,000 registered volunteers for stem cell donations in Shanghai, and 544 people have donated stem cells.