Tributes flow for ‘cancer warrior’
Death of woman, 25, meant she could not fulfil wish to find her brother a girlfriend
Mainland social media is mourning the death of a young woman from cancer, whose life ended abruptly two days after she turned 25, but her hope never faded.
Liu Yi, 25, from southwestern China’s Sichuan province, died earlier this month.
Two days before her death, she posted a video on Douyin, saying: “I am the master of my fate. I will bravely fight the monster named cancer.”
Liu graduated from Sichuan Normal University Film and Television College with big dreams. Her hopes were cruelly dashed when she was diagnosed with late-stage colon cancer a year ago.
She bravely fought it, even naming her Douyin account “great cancer warrior”. She also made a bucket list of all the things she wanted to do before she died.
On the list was a trip to Yunnan province in southwestern China.
There were 12 things she wanted to do while she was there, which included watching the sunrise, tasting Yunnan coffee, riding in a sports car, singing in a pub, having a portrait of herself, and finding a girlfriend for her older brother. Only the last wish remained unfulfilled at the time of her death.
The rest were fulfilled last November with the help of Yunnan-based Douyin influencer @Baozaoxiansheng.
He and his wife invited a photography team to dress Liu in Bai traditional clothing and photograph her by the scenic Erhai Lake.
Posting her trip on his account, the influencer said he admired her passion for life, which she embraced despite the severe pain she was suffering.
The couple helped Liu with her wishes and supported the belief that her health would improve.
Liu said she was “reborn” following the trip, and agreed to meet them again after she had recovered.
Liu’s half-brother, Cui, said his sister remained obsessed with her unfulfilled wish of finding him a girlfriend.
He said dating was the last thing on his mind after his sister died, and he would only consider it after a period of mourning.
“I will find a girlfriend some time in the future and fulfil my sister’s wish then,” he said.