Surgeons saved the leg of a 22-year-old college student on Saturday in an operation funded by the Shanghai Charity Foundation.

 

The operation, at Shanghai No. 6 People's Hospital, was part of a one-day event titled "True Love Under The Blue Sky."

 

Wu Fei, a Shanghai University senior who is suffering from the chronic auto-immune disease SLE, was expected to lose the ability to walk within one or two years due to the decay of her thighbone.

 

The one-hour operation by Professor Zhang Changqing was said to have run smoothly.

 

After her surgery, Wu, who lives in tight economic circumstances with her unemployed father, also received 10,000 yuan (US$1,350) donated by hospital staff.

 

Thousands of people took part in the one-day charity event, organized to coincide with Spring Festival.

 

About 20,000 volunteers, most of them middle-school and college students, hit the streets to collect donations. Among them were about 80 students from two classes at Shixi High School, who sought donations along Nanjing Road W.

 

"I wouldn't blame my students if they stayed away from the event due to the heavy snow, but everyone turned up," said a teacher surnamed Liu.

 

"I'm quite touched. Even a student running a fever came this morning."

 

Al Zequeira, a visitor from Los Angeles who made a donation on Nanjing Road, said it was wonderful that so many people took part in such bad weather.

 

On Saturday morning, about 100 hardy souls, many from far-flung places, visited Jiangwan Stadium in Yangpu District where a temporary "charity supermarket" was set up, with proceeds going toward the cause.

 

A woman surnamed Wang and two of her friends spent 600 yuan.

 

"We are from Putuo District, and got up at 6am," she said. "We take part in the event every year. It's a win-win situation - I find something I need and I donate to charity."

 

On Saturday afternoon, more than 1.73 million yuan was raised at an auction for needy cataract patients, deaf and mute children, and kids with congenital heart problems.

 

More than 100 bidders competed fiercely for more than 40 items.

 

Bidder Roger Lin said he loves charity auctions.

 

"I think it's comforting to know where my donations go," he said.

 

(Shanghai Daily January 28, 2008)