In 2013, a Chinese man who could no longer afford dialysis built his own dialysis machine

In 2013, a Chinese man named Hu Songwen garnered international attention for using a homemade hemodialysis machine for approximately 13 years. This remarkable feat was born out of necessity after the escalating costs of hospital treatment depleted his family's savings. Hu was diagnosed with uremia in 1993 while studying at the Nanjing Institute of Meteorology, when doctors discovered both his kidneys had failed. The financial strain of regular dialysis treatments became unbearable for his family. Driven by his need to survive, Hu delved into the principles of hemodialysis and ingeniously constructed a makeshift system. He combined medical equipment with common household items to create a functional dialysis machine. By 2013, reports indicated that he was performing dialysis at home three times a week. Doctors, however, cautioned that his self-made method carried significant risks of infection and other complications, strongly advising against its replication. Hu's journey began at age 21, when his health deteriorated rapidly, leading to swelling and difficulty urinating. The diagnosis of uremia marked the beginning of a challenging battle. While his family made sacrifices, selling possessions and borrowing from relatives, the treatment costs, around 400 yuan per session against a monthly family income of less than 1,500 yuan, eventually became unsustainable after six years. This financial impasse propelled Hu to seek an alternative solution for his life-sustaining treatment.