Cong Fei, the Shenzhen singer-philanthropist who spent most of his life savings helping needy people over the past 11 years, has offered to donate his corneas after his death.

 

Cong, who is suffering from an advanced stage of gastric cancer, told visiting ophthalmologist Yao Xiaoming on Monday that he would like Yao to carry out the transplant operations. Yao has performed many cornea transplant operations in recent years.

 

Cong has donated as much as 3 million yuan (US$360,000) to support more than 150 needy children in the past decade.

 

Also visiting Cong on Monday was Hong Zhanhui, a 23-year-old college student from Hunan Province who won the 2005 CCTV "Moving China" award along with Cong. Hong won the honor for raising an adopted sister in the past 12 years while looking after his mentally ill father in the absence of his mother.

 

Cong told the young man: "If I had another life, I would definitely spare no effort in doing all these things (helping poor students receive education) again."

 

Hong said Cong was the person he respected the most. After seeing the samaritan in a serious condition, Hong could not hold back his tears.

 

(Shenzhen Daily April 6, 2006)