A barbecue stall owner in China is receiving widespread praise after temporarily closing his business to donate stem cells and help save the life of a three-year-old child suffering from leukaemia.
According to reports, 33-year-old Shao Sanhu from Anhui province paused his barbecue business for nearly two weeks to complete the donation process for a child he had never met.
Stall closed for stem cell donation
On April 18, Shao reportedly placed a handwritten notice on the tarpaulin covering his food stall, informing customers that the shop would remain closed for a week due to a family matter.
The decision came at a financial cost. Reports said Shao had to distribute prepared food ingredients for free and suffered losses of nearly 20,000 yuan towards rent and employee salaries during the closure.
Despite the setback, Shao travelled to Hefei, the capital of Anhui province, where he successfully donated stem cells on April 27 to support the young leukaemia patient.
Customers travelled long distances to support him
When Shao reopened his barbecue business on May 1 during the May Day holiday, he was stunned to find long queues waiting outside his stall.
Reports said over 60 groups of customers gathered to support him, with some travelling from different provinces after hearing about his selfless act online.
One visitor reportedly spent nearly seven hours travelling by flight and road from southwestern China just to meet Shao and thank him personally.
Kindness wins hearts online
The overwhelming public response prompted Shao to speed up plans to shift his roadside stall into a nearby shop to avoid disturbing neighbours due to the growing crowds.
Local restaurant and catering associations also stepped forward to support him by arranging additional cooks and waiters to help handle the rush.
Shao’s gesture has touched millions online, with many praising him for choosing humanity over business profits