These days, 7-year-old Wang Xu's fate is closely linked to the birth of his newborn brother.

Because his brother's umbilical blood index is miraculously similar to his own, Wang, who is suffering from leukaemia, might have a second lease on life.

He also owes his new lease on life to his brave 35-year-old mother, who was so determined to save him that she was willing to suffer another 10-month pregnancy.

Wang Xu was born into a farming family in Lanxi, a suburb county within the precinct of Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province.

He was diagnosed with leukaemia in April last year after being sent to the hospital because of persistent nosebleeds.

"I was stunned, dumbfounded on the spot," Shang Yuhui, the boy's mother recalled. "It was like being insane. I kept crying until exhausted because I thought there was no cure for the disease."

The chance of finding a suitable marrow sample is about one in 4 million, and even if they found one, the expensive medical fees would be unaffordable.

Then, Hong Luojia, a blood disease expert from The No 4 Hospital, which is affiliated with the Harbin Medical University, told the desperate mother to consider having another child.

There was a 25 per cent chance that the new child's umbilical blood would match with his brother's.

Knowing it was their only hope, the mother hurried to apply for a quota to have a second child, which was granted.

According to the country's family planning policy, couples whose first child has serious defect or disease can apply to have a second child.

Shang was pregnant again by July of last year.

"I felt like I wasn't just conceiving one life, but two," Shang said. "At that time, I just hoped I could deliver the baby quickly to see the result (whether the umbilical blood indexes would match)."

Shang gave birth to a baby weighing 3 kilograms on May 2 this year.

Doctors took 40 cubic centimetres of the umbilical blood to compare with Wang's and found they matched perfectly.

"When I heard the news on the phone, I did not say anything. I just cried," Shang said.

"She made it," said Hong Luojia, Wang Xu's doctor, who was also relieved that Wang lived long enough to see his brother's birth.

"Using the umbilical blood of his brother not only lowered the risk of his body rejecting it, it also saved his parents a lot of money," Hong said.

Wang is now waiting in the hospital's bacteria-free ward for his operation, which is slated for the end of this month.

The hospital agreed to conduct the operation before pre-payment. The cost is expected to be 150,000 yuan (US$18,750), Hong said.

(China Daily June 13, 2006)