A2N volunteers help transport donated fruits to hospitals in Hubei province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Offline effort

A psychology major, An decided to offer emotional support to patients and their families at local hospitals on Jan 26, and gradually organized an offline group to comfort "all those affected by the virus".

"Patients are stressed due to the uncertainty of their physical conditions. Their family members are also anxious and sometimes they quarrel with doctors and nurses. Medical workers are risking their lives while working and can feel bad about such behavior," he says.

"Some other patients who have to vacate their hospital beds for coronavirus patients also feel anxious. They are all among those we want to help."

Now about 20 people, including clinical psychologists and social workers, have joined An's volunteer work. So far, they have helped 68 people in Chongqing. An has contacted some local doctors, and they have provided tips on who needs psychological support.

Social workers speak daily with every patient they help. And psychologists check their situations every two or three days and offer suggestions.

"I once comforted an old woman who was suspected of being infected. After I talked with her several times, she expressed gratitude, saying that she was left alone without family members and everybody stayed away from her and treated her 'like a virus'. She even considered committing suicide but my company made her feel that someone still cared about her," An says.

"There are many in a similar situation."

Besides An's offline group, the A2N also has a materials-transportation subgroup that helps donors to send their goods to suitable recipients. Recently they helped the China Youth Development Foundation, the Hubei Youth Development Foundation and Procter & Gamble company to send 100 boxes of adult diapers to a medical center in Huanggang city in Hubei, and over 1,000 boxes of apples to several hospitals in Wuhan.

The A2N's website displays a quote of the late author Lu Xun: "If no torch is left, I would like to become the only light."

Yang says: "We want to inherit the spirit that Lu Xun hoped young Chinese would hold in the future."

Contact the writer at wangru1@chinadaily.com.cn