China – Cancer survivor Sun Ying has had more than her fair share of burdens as she lives with the grief of having lost her father to lung cancer in Dec 2015, after he had given up treatment to pay her costly medical bills. These burdens, however, have given Sun an iron will to battle her illness with help of her family members and university mates.
Currently a top-notch student at Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, Sun Ying was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2015, after having sat the “Gaokao” which is the national higher education entrance examinations .
At that point in time, her father had already been in his last stages of lung cancer and had spent US$30,000 to US$40,000 on his medical bills.
After his death, Sun journalled, ”My superhero left this world. For a long time, the world loses all its colours. From now on, I’ll stop being weak and wilful, but be strong and independent.”
Within half a year of her own cancer diagnosis, Sun had undergone chemotherapy 16 times and cut her hair short. Drug side-effects caused her weight to increase from about 50kg to 70kg.
Presently, Sun has been battling her illness for four years during which she has had three relapses.
In her first three years at university, her teachers and classmates were not aware of her condition. They only knew that she was frequently sick and often had to go to the hospital.
While her roommates were aware of her chemotherapy sessions, they did not know the severity of her treatment.
Her grades in the those first three years were also impressive.
Apart from university work, Sun would draw comical characters to maintain her positivity, cheer up other cancer patients and encourage them to persevere in their arduous cancer journeys.
This went on until April 2018 when Sun could no longer continue with her cancer treatment as her body had developed an immunity to her medicines and her family could no longer afford her medical expenses, including costs for a stem cell transplant.
At that point, Sun had thought of giving up treatment but in recalling how others had tried to help her, she persevered.
Death, observes Sun, does not matter as much as her mother whom she feels has undergone a turbulent period and whom she cannot abandon.
Also, the constant reminder of her father’s sacrifice inspires Sun to live for him.
Unfortunately, Sun admits that there have been many times she has barely escaped death. Thus, she hopes for help from kind souls.
Netizens’ comments in response to Sun’s aid request were poignant and heart-warming.
