The Daily Star's FREE newsletter is spectacular! Sign up today for the best stories straight to your inbox Sign up today! Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Zheng Yanliang, 47, was told he had one month to live after being diagnosed with severe arterial thrombosis in both legs and he could not pay the hospital fees to receive surgery.

Mr Zheng decided to act on the bad news and perform a DIY-style form of operation.

The farmer from the Chinese province of Hebei waited until his wife went to bed before taking on the makeshift surgery.

He bit down on a piece of wood as he sunk the metal instruments into his flesh as he tried to battle the intense pain.

Local media sources reported neighbours hearing his screams that night.

In January 2012, Mr Zheng began to experience sharp pain in his stomach, which shot down both of his legs.

He was told at a hospital in Beijing that he was suffering with an incurable embolism and that he had two choices of death or to go into surgery.

Doctors prescribed him with painkillers but his wife told news sources that three doses of the drugs did nothing to help with her husband's pain.

Mr Zheng's leg has now healed and he began appealing for more funds to allow surgeons to operate on his other infected leg.

The news coverage on his story led to a doctor in Shanghai offering the service for free.

Zhang Qiang, from the Shanghai Wode Medical Centre, said he would give poor Mr Zheng the operation with no charge.

"My medical colleagues and I will provide him with free medical services," Dr Zhang said on his blog.