Chinese NBA star Yao Ming has agreed to donate his stem cell to save leukaemia sufferers.

Yao, who had signed a five-year contract worth 76 million US dollars with Huston Rockets, went to People's University in Beijing to have the blood sample test on Sunday. Thus, Yao has become a volunteer of China's Marrow Center.

Luo Yang, one of Yao Ming's super fans, died of leukaemia last year at the age of 16. Dying Luo was eager to say a few words to Yao who was then competing in NBA. Yao made a phone call to Luo after a match and encouraged him to fight against the disease. Furthermore, Yao sent Luo 20,000 dollars.

Yao, who is in China preparing for the Asian Basketball Championship, said that if his blood sample matched, he would definitely donate his stem cell.

Up to July, 2005, China's Marrow Center has got 290,000 doses of stem cell. But the number of the patients waiting for the transplantation has reached one million in China.

Source: Xinhua