A touching story from China has captured widespread attention after a mystery donor gifted a man 50 tonnes of sweet potatoes to help him raise money for his wife’s cancer treatment, reports say.
According to the China husband gets 50 tonnes of produce from mystery donor… (SCMP), 35-year-old Jia Changlong has been selling sweet potatoes at a street stall in Jinan, Shandong province, to cover mounting medical expenses after his wife, surnamed Li, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in July. The family has already spent about 350,000 yuan (around US$50,000) on treatment, and a bone marrow transplant — crucial for her recovery — is expected to cost another 400,000 yuan.
A generous offer amid struggle
Jia’s situation touched many online after he shared his story on Chinese social media. He explained that he had exhausted savings, borrowed from friends and relatives, and even sold his computer to pay for his wife’s care. With mounting costs and little left to sell, he began selling sweet potatoes in hopes of supporting her treatment.
Then, a mystery donor surnamed Fang, who grows sweet potatoes himself, contacted Jia via a messaging app offering to donate 50 tonnes of the crop instead of cash. Fang said he wanted Jia to earn the money through his own labour rather than simply receiving charity: “This young man is very responsible. He is going through a tough time, so I wanted to help,” he told local media.
Charity sale brings fresh hope
Jia set up a stall describing his produce sale as a “Gratitude Charity Sale,” explaining his wife’s condition to customers. Early batches of the donated sweet potatoes sold well, with the first batch reportedly earning around 5,000 yuan, and more sales expected as additional potatoes arrive.
The story has resonated widely on Chinese platforms, with many praising the mystery donor’s thoughtful approach. Some commentators noted that the donation helped local farmers by purchasing their crops, supported Jia through work rather than charity alone, and gave members of the public a simple way to contribute by buying sweet potatoes.