Despite a horrific attack, oculist Tao Yong has managed to remain a beacon of optimism and kindness, Yang Yang reports.

Professor Tao Yong, director of the ophthalmology department of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, usually saw patients on Mondays. He received as many outpatients as possible without limiting registration numbers, knowing that many of them came to him after traveling long distances. Finishing work at 9 or 10 pm, he would sleep in his office because, the next day, he would be in surgery. His personal record is 86 cataract operations in a single day.

For many patients-those with difficult conditions like leukemia, AIDS, severe diabetes, immune disorders, chronic diseases, complicated retinal detachment and so on-Tao was their last hope.

"Tao is one of the few domestic oculists that will operate on AIDS patients," Wang Xinlei, who studied ophthalmology at Peking University Health Science Center alongside Tao, is on record as saying.

He managed to save money for patients, who were often reduced to poverty after years of expensive treatment. Sometimes, if they were too poor, Tao would help to pay some of their fees. Once, a patient needed operation on both eyes, but could only afford one. Tao paid for the other eye because "I can't let him go blind", he said, as a screenshot of the conversation between Tao and the patient's friend showed.

"He carries a profound sympathy for patients," says his friend and former colleague Liu Ping.

On an online medical consulting platform, 311 users have written comments expressing their gratitude to Tao. A thank-you note posted on Jan 13 goes: "I met professor Tao when I had lost all hope. It was he who saved me and gave me hope. He immediately found the cause of my disease when we first met. Because of him, I felt strong enough to beat the disease, no matter how hard it was. He was caring, gracious and superb. I wish him a lifelong peace."

However, just seven days after that post, one of his previous patients sent Tao spiraling into the darkest days of his life.

On the afternoon of Jan 20, a 36-year-old man surnamed Cui took a cleaver to the seventh floor of Chaoyang Hospital where Tao worked. It was approaching Spring Festival, so there were fewer doctors and patients than usual. Cui sat outside Tao's office for an hour and as soon as Tao's assistants left, he rushed into the office, striking Tao on the back of the head and neck.