Abandoned by parents after cancer diagnosis, Chinese woman dies after solo battle

A Chinese influencer who became known for bravely battling bone cancer after her parents abandoned her following her diagnosis has died, prompting widespread mourning online.

On October 27, the account of anti-cancer influencer Miracle Xia Xia posted an obituary announcing that she had died in a Shanghai hospital.

The video shows Xia Xia choosing her own memorial portrait, turning it black and white, and typing her own eulogy on her phone.

She apologised to her followers for becoming a “deserter”, thanked them for their help and love over the past five years, and recalled seeing the sea, Mount Tai and the flowers in Lijiang, Yunnan province, in southwestern China.

She reassured her online friends that she would be buried in a place “with trees, surrounded by flowers and plants, with no pain or worries.”

Xia Xia’s final words moved many people, who expressed their love and respect for her one last time.

Xia Xia, whose real name was Xia Jinhe, was from central China’s Anhui province. At the age of 18, shortly before her college entrance exams, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer.

Her father never visited her after her diagnosis, and her mother cut ties with her a year later. Her grandmother was the only family member who continued to care for her, but she was in her 80s and unable to look after her.

Xia Xia’s right leg was amputated as her illness progressed rapidly. She was accepted into Hefei Normal University and continued attending classes when her condition allowed.

Meanwhile, Xia Xia wrote online fiction and sold crocheted toys she had made on the street to help pay for her treatment.

Despite her suffering, Xia Xia remained independent, strong and optimistic. She bought her own prosthetic leg and taught herself to use it. When she was hospitalised in Shanghai, she travelled there alone with her luggage. She signed her own surgical consent forms six times.

Despite her condition, she still wanted to experience the world like healthy people. With help from six young people and many tourists, she climbed Mount Tai, one of China’s Five Great Mountains. After seeing a photographer’s pictures portraying a young woman who had survived a car crash and severe burns as an “angel”, she contacted him and expressed her wish to become an angel too.

She said she was grateful for the help and kindness she had received along the way. After her cancer spread to her lungs and pleura, she once stopped treatment because she could no longer afford it, but donations from netizens helped her resume treatment.

Xia Xia remained optimistic on social media. She encouraged herself and her followers to “live on”. Speaking about her illness and family, she said her misfortunes had shaped her and made her stronger.

On September 18, Xia Xia said she had undergone her seventh major operation, but this time she was not alone. She was accompanied by friends, including Shen, who had taken the “angel photographs” of her.

Shen became her friend after the photo session and, together with his mother, looked after her. He also helped her sell goods online to raise money for her treatment.

In Xia Xia’s final days, Shen helped her speak to her grandmother one last time over a video call. Her parents also visited her in hospital one last time. Shen said that when Xia Xia drew her final breath, her mother cried.

Shen said he would help Xia Xia fulfil her final wish: establishing a foundation in her name to help more people. He said her love and spirit would “always be here with us”.

On Xia Xia’s account, which has 500,000 followers, her age is listed as “100 years old”.

“What a beautiful, strong, brave and kind princess. Good night,” one online commenter wrote.

“Our fairy has passed the ordeal of tribulation and ascended back to heaven. She will protect everyone working hard like her, because she is the best Xia Jinhe,” another said.