Zhang Chuanqiu, a 27-year-old Chinese man, is hoping to save his hands after he was shackled so tightly in an illegal prison in Hunan that his flesh grew over the chains, the Austrian Times is reporting. According to the paper, Chuanqiu says he is in terrible pain due to the wounds:

"They cause me a lot of pain. They are always inflamed and ooze pus all the time. But we have no money so I have to rely on charity or the good heart of a hospital or doctor to save my hands."

Chuanqiu was imprisoned after a falling out over a loan he was using to build his house. He was chained in a cowshed in 2005, says BuzzFeed. He needs a surgery that will cost about $1,600 to remove the chains and to avoid further infection.

“The only person who did not give up on me was my mother who waited for her time and rescued me,” he explained.