"If I have to die, I hope to die behind the podium," said Yu Gongmao to The Paper during an interview on March 11.
Recently, Yu Gongmao, an English teacher at the Foreign Languages Institute of Wuhan University, became an online sensation.
Yu, 41, has never stopped teaching despite the fact that he suffers from kidney necrosis. Because of his medical condition, Yu cannot stand for long periods of time, so he holds his upper body straight and kneels on a chair when he delivers lectures.
Yu undergoes hemodialysis every Monday, Wednesday and Friday after teaching four lessons. He gives eight lectures for two classes every other day, and he has insisted on maintaining this schedule for the past year.
The nearly 100 students beyond his podium could easily forget that both their teacher's kidneys are failing. Then again, standing at a height of 1.75 meters, Yu Gongmao only weighs 55 kilograms.
"Since I met you, English has become my favorite course," said one student. The student added, "Mr. Yu is very interesting, and I still recall many details from his class. His teaching methods and techniques really helped us to learn."
During his hospitalization, many of his students drew cards or wrote letters, which were then brought to his ward by the class cadre. Yu keeps those cards and letters in a beautiful box.
When Yu was asked why he chooses to keep teaching, he said, "I feel that the students are sending me a message: 'Mr. Yu, stand up and come back to class.' This always reminds me of the value and dignity of being a teacher."
