On 25 May of last year, Liu Gofan had his wisdom teeth removed at Changsha Hospital in Hunan province. Five days later, the 26-year-old posted warning messages on Chinese forums complaining of continuous bleeding for several days. He posted pictures of blood-drenched handkerchiefs and blankets and explained that his mouth was permanently 'full of blood.'
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'I think I'm going to die'
He then returned to the hospital where his operation had taken place to get new stitches in. Still, he just kept on bleeding and was finally admitted to hospital on 4 June where he was quickly transferred to intensive care. Liu Gofan died a few days later, on 9 June, as a result of his injuries.
His death was officially due to sepsis and brain hernia, caused by the haemorrhage. According to the patient's sister, the dentist did not take her brother seriously and did not prescribe any treatment after his operation. She told a local media outlet that it had become a joke between them:
I'm bleeding so much, I think I'm going to die. Don't forget to pay my loan when I die!
Behind the bleeding, a rare disease
Further medical tests have established that Liu Gofan may have been suffering from acute myeloid leukaemia or AML, a rare cancer of the blood and bone marrow. As his body was cremated, no further tests will be able to confirmor deny this. The mystery will remain.