Villager hero to US leukemia patient

Zhao Yuedong, a 39-year-old villager from Liaoning province, became a hero to a leukemia patient in the US city of Los Angeles when he became the first international bone marrow donor from Shenyang on Tuesday.

"Hello, brother from another land. It's lucky that our bone marrow matches. Don't be afraid of the illness and remember, I'm here with you. I will help whenever you need," Zhao wrote in a letter that will accompany his marrow, which contains hematopoietic stem cells.

Those are immature cells that can enable leukemia patients to regenerate healthy blood cells. The marrow is usually harvested under general anesthesia using a needle inserted into the hipbone.