David V. Plymire has donated medical equipment worth more than 6 million yuan (about $895,000) to Huangyuan County People's Hospital in Qinghai Province, China. The 95-year-old American continues a century-long connection between his family and the town where his father, Victor G. Plymire, lived for nearly 30 years.

A Century of Ties

Victor Plymire first arrived in China in 1908 and settled in Huangyuan. He provided free Western medical diagnosis and treatment to local residents of different ethnic groups. David spent more than a decade in Huangyuan from young adulthood before eventually settling in Missouri, US.

In 1987, after 38 years away, David returned to Huangyuan. He began raising funds to support local healthcare infrastructure. In March 1989, he and his sister Mary Ann purchased an ultrasound scanner for HK$150,000 (about $19,100) and transported it from Hong Kong to Huangyuan.

Medical Contributions

Over more than 30 years, David traveled between the US and Huangyuan more than 20 times. In 1999, he ordered a CT scanner worth $350,000 for the county hospital. The equipment arrived in June 2000, making the facility one of the few county-level institutions in Qinghai Province with such technology.

David also donated four ultrasound machines worth $10,000 to four township health centers. This allowed local doctors to detect common conditions such as cholecystitis and gallstones without referring patients to the provincial capital.

What the Numbers Show

The cumulative value of donations exceeds 6 million yuan, yet David described his personal savings as modest, noting in one letter that he had only $8,000 on hand. This divergence suggests that the majority of the funding was raised through external channels, including friends and foundations, rather than personal wealth. The hospital now reports 300,000 outpatient visits annually, serving a county population of just over 100,000.

Enduring Legacy

Victor Plymire’s photographs were compiled into the album Imprints, which was included in national archival records. Victor’s first wife and son John are buried in Huangyuan. David’s sister, Mary Ann, died in Canada in 2016; her ashes were returned to Huangyuan per her final wish.

David received the title of "Honorary Citizen of Huangyuan County" in 1998 and "Honorary Citizen of Qinghai Province" in 2003. The hospital plans to establish a history museum displaying the donated equipment and correspondence.