In Langfang, Hebei, a group known as the "Panda Heroes" carries a rare "panda blood" type, standing ready to assist patients in need. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Langfang Rare Blood Type Association. As the first registered social organization for rare blood types in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the association has grown from an initial 50 members to over 1,200 today, with cumulative blood donations exceeding 437,500 milliliters, aiding over a thousand patients both domestically and internationally. Founder Zuo Yinghao plans to collaborate with managers of rare blood type associations in Beijing and Tianjin to establish a Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei "mutual aid circle," aiming to build a blood type mutual assistance and rescue system covering the region.

The motivation for forming the association stemmed from Zuo Yinghao's personal experience. In 2012, during a prenatal check-up, she was informed she had type O Rh-negative blood. A follow-up hospital text went unheeded until nearing childbirth, when she realized the severity. "Local hospitals had minimal reserves of this blood type; I visited several before finding one that would accept me," Zuo recalled with lingering fear. During maternity leave, she researched online, discovered the China Rare Blood Type Alliance in Beijing, and promptly joined.

Zuo vividly remembers her first donation in December 2013, responding to a plea in the alliance's group chat for a six- or seven-year-old leukemia patient at Beijing Children's Hospital. "The child's parents hadn't even cried yet, but I was sobbing uncontrollably. He was so young, sick, and had a rare blood type. Fortunately, there were volunteers like us," she said. After connecting with local Langfang volunteers through the alliance, Zuo actively prepared to establish the Langfang Rare Blood Type Alliance (later renamed Langfang Rare Blood Type Association). Officially registered in March 2016, it became the region's first公益团体 focused on无偿救助 and科普宣传 for rare blood types, featuring科普分队 and血型分队 for knowledge dissemination and volunteer recruitment.

Over ten years, membership expanded from about 50 to over 1,200, with approximately 280 active献血志愿者 dubbed "Panda Heroes." Their cumulative donations exceed 437,500 milliliters, helping over a thousand patients.

Beyond ABO blood types, the Rh system includes negative and positive types. Public data shows Rh-negative individuals comprise only about 0.3% of the population, hence the "panda blood" moniker; volunteers are "Panda Heroes." Li Ruili, a key participant and head of the School Health Education Department at Wen'an County CDC with over 20 years in disease control, has donated blood in Beijing four times due to her rare type.

In early 2017, Li rushed to Beijing after a group message about a pregnant woman with platelet dysfunction and capillary fragility needing urgent donations to prevent bleeding during delivery. Volunteers from Hebei, Tianjin, Shandong等地 responded. Li took the first 4:20 AM interprovincial bus. "The bus heater was broken. The four-hour ride from Wen'an to Beijing was freezing," she recalled. At the Beijing Blood Center around 8 AM, she warmed up with breakfast. During donation, blood flow slowed after 190 milliliters; nurses advised stopping, but Li insisted, "I want to give more. Someone's life depends on it!" Explaining the physiological response, she noted, "Cold constricts blood vessels to conserve heat, slowing flow and increasing viscosity to protect vital organs." After drinking hot water and repeatedly clenching her fist, she managed an extra 10 milliliters before flow stopped again. "I was truly upset! Now, I always bring extra clothing for warmth," she said. To date, Li has participated in four cross-province and multiple local rescues, donating 1,790 milliliters.

Since the association's founding, Li has organized and participated in over 20科普宣传活动, conducted more than 10 various科普讲座, recorded two宣传节目, and organized three free blood type testing events locally. "Our宣传 helps more people understand rare blood types, get tested early, and join us to advance无偿救助 for patients," Li stated. On March 16 this year, she shared the moving story "Forward, Panda Heroes!" at a joint宣讲活动 across "Tong-Wu-Lang" areas, highlighting跨区域 blood传递 and mutual warmth.

For its 10th anniversary, the association continues aiding Langfang patients needing blood for childbirth, surgery, leukemia treatment, etc., while assisting in Beijing, Tianjin, and surrounding areas, organizing 1,159 donations to date. Zuo noted that in 2017, with support from blood station leadership and hospital experts, they successfully established a rare blood patient救助平台 and an effective救助体系. Partner hospitals opened绿色通道 for rare blood type孕妇, addressing admission difficulties during delivery in Langfang.

Unlike ordinary blood reserves, the association does not advocate提前献血. "When Rh-negative blood is needed, hospitals request from blood stations. If库存血 is insufficient, stations immediately contact us. We then post the need via WeChat groups to quickly find 'Panda Heroes' for donation," Zuo explained. "Clinical demand is随机 and突发;提前大量采集 could waste resources. We recommend volunteers serve as流动的人体血库, ready to donate as needed." The "hospital—blood station—association" system maximizes effective use of rare blood, meets patient needs, supplements station库存血, and ensures紧急救助保障.

"Early this year, managers from the three regions' rare blood type associations began building a Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei 'mutual aid circle,' aiming for a system centered on Langfang," Zuo added. Statistics show places like Tangshan, Baoding, Cangzhou, Handan have lower rare blood usage; if surgery timing allows, volunteers there are prioritized. "While local blood centers store some rare blood, clinical use usually requires预约, with thawing taking 3–5 hours, unsuitable for immediate抢救." Although异地献血 is not promoted for volunteer safety, "in紧急情况 like urgent transfusion, we definitely send volunteers. From Langfang to Beijing takes just an hour, faster than thawing库存血."

Over the years, the association actively participates in公益活动 to expand社会知悉度 and关注度 for rare blood types. Looking ahead, Zuo hopes to organize a全民Rh血型筛查 to identify more rare blood type individuals, aiming to make rare blood types less "rare."

Blood safety is crucial to public health and social stability. Implementing the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development strategy, the three regions continue advancing协同发展 in blood collection and supply. Late last year, the Beijing Red Cross Blood Center, Tianjin Blood Center, and Hebei Blood Center jointly held a协同发展研讨会,初步 forming implementation projects for 2026, including血液供需应急演练,技术规范培训,信息互联互通, and质量管理同质化, and discussing tasks for共同推动协同发展 during the "十五五" period.

Currently, the three regions have established a "三献" information sharing platform for造血干细胞捐献,无偿献血, and人体器官和遗体捐献, achieving衔接与协同 in捐献流程 to simplify processes and ensure blood safety. As首都都市圈建设 accelerates,京津冀协同发展 enters a new stage, injecting strong momentum into regional高质量发展.区域协同发展 is a系统工程 requiring打破 "一亩三分地"思维定式, emphasizing协同发力 from战略对接 and制度衔接 to addressing public急难愁盼. Through破解难题 and数字创新,京津冀采供血工作协同发展 is advancing into a更高质量,更深层次的新阶段, adding more温情暖意 to京津冀协同发展.

[Background] Four Transfusion Pathways Address Rare Blood Type Challenges "Rare blood types" are uncommon or scarce, defined by the American Association of Blood Banks as types found in 1 in 1,000 people, with "very rare" types in 1 in 5,000. Known types include "panda blood" (Rh-negative), "dinosaur blood" (Bombay phenotype), "diamond blood" [Jk(a-b-)], "golden blood" (Rh null), and Ael型, noted for极低的分布频率 and特殊的输血要求.

The main生存挑战 for rare blood type patients is输血困境; incompatible blood can trigger antibodies, making finding suitable blood difficult. Current输血途径 include: 1. Autologous transfusion: The优先考虑方案. Before elective surgery, patients donate their own blood for storage and later回输, avoiding免疫排斥 and传染病风险, alleviating库存血源紧张. A recognized safe method. 2.亲属献血: Probability of finding a match among relatives is at least 25%, much higher than the general population distribution. 3.建立稀有血型库: Managed via红细胞低温保存 or大规模筛选献血员 to建立档案库 for紧急动员输血 during needs. Registering blood types and contact details with local血站 facilitates紧急调血. 4.跨区域血液的互助合作: Establishing互助组织 or websites for跨区域乃至国际合作 has proven effective for保障稀有血型输血.