A man cut off his own sick leg as he couldn't afford hospital surgery, according to a report by the local Yanzhao Evening Newspaper on Oct 10.

Zheng Yanliang, a 47-year-old farmer in northern China's Hebei Province. He fell prey to an unexplained massive arterial embolism in his legs last year, which caused him insufferable pains in and festering on his right leg.

Zheng thought of getting his right leg amputated as the ulceration kept worsening, but since the previous treatment had already left him and his family penniless, he could not afford the hospital surgery.

Zheng then decided to cut off his own leg one day last April.

Sending his wife Shen Zhonghong off to take a nap, Zheng took a hacksaw, a knife, and a towel. When Shen woke up some 20 minutes later, she saw that her husband's right leg had been cut off, the hacksaw had broken in two due to the force and four teeth were on the table -- apparently bit off because of the pain. There was not much blood, though, thanks to the embolism, or blockage, in his leg artery.

The amputation stopped the festering on Zheng's right leg, but now his left leg began suffering: his left foot simply fell off his ankle due to the ulceration.

Zheng hopes that someone can help cure him and get him a pair of artificial legs, so that he can stand on his own and do some odd job to support his impoverished family.

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