Chinese actress Vicky Zhao and Beijing Maxtimes CEO Chen Lizhi observed the fourth anniversary of the launch of their leukemia charity foundation with the screening of a new documentary in Beijing on Wednesday.

The V-Love Fund for Leukemia, under the New Sunshine Charity Foundation, was jointly founded in 2014 by Vicky Zhao, also known as Zhao Wei, and Chen Lizhi, chairman and CEO of Beijing Maxtimes Culture Development Co., Ltd. Since its initiation, the fund has taken in millions of yuan in donations, as well as outpourings of love from numerous donors to patients. The two founding partners expressed a desire to document some of the exceptional stories they've encountered and educate people about leukemia. 

"Lights of Small Loves," directed by Zhou Yuewen, follows the lives of three patients and highlights their journey of receiving help from the V-Love Fund and other philanthropists, which ultimately led to their life-saving recoveries. "Small loves" refers to the many small donations that generate a large force of impact when joined together. 

For leukemia patients who cannot be cured by chemotherapy, only bone marrow transplant can ensure their long-term survival. However, as the film depicts, the cost of transplant surgery and post-surgery treatment is astronomical and prohibitive for many poor families. Many patients have given up on the idea of transplant and died during the chemotherapy process. The establishment of the V-Love Fund therefore brings hope and a new chance for survival. 

"I hope that through this documentary film, more people can know that leukemia can be treated and the film can spread the correct knowledge about leukemia treatment," Zhao said.

Chen Lizhi said that in the past four years, 1.14 million individual donations totaling more than 50 million yuan (US$7.25 million) have been made to the account of the V-Love Fund. The money has helped 138 patients from poor families to return to normal life after effective treatments. Celebrities have also pitched in, including actors Alec Su, Huang Xiaoming, Chen Kun, actress Li Bingbing and more. 

Chen added, "We don't want to present suffering on screen, we just want to show that as long as you try hard, you will have hope. We want to present love – the love of patients and families, the love of donors and receivers – all are positive and warm."

"Lights of Small Loves" debuted on the Chinese entertainment app Watermelon Video on Dec. 26.

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)