A freshman student in Nanjing decided to donate her body to her school for medical research after dying of melanoma, the Nanjing Daily reported.

Li Juan, 21, was a nursing major at Nanjing Medical University. She was diagnosed with melanoma in December after feeling unwell in her throat. Li Juan died on Feb 28.

Li Juan was from a poor family where her mother was unable to work after brain surgery and her father and younger brother had to support the whole family. The university organized a charity donation of more than 38,700 yuan for Li after her illness was diagnosed.

Li requested in her last days for her body to be donated to the school for melanoma research.

"She might hope to continue to live her medical dream by contributing her body," the paper said, quoting the class director Lu Xi.