Chinese woman, 23, abandoned by family after bone cancer diagnosis, pays for own surgeries & vows to live to 100

After getting diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of 18, a woman in China's Hefei province underwent six major surgeries, including one that amputated her leg when she was just 19.

She did not have family to turn to for support — she went through years of treatment and surgeries on her own.

Now 23, the woman has been sharing her story online under the name "Xiaxia", drawing a lot of sympathy and encouragement from her viewers.

In a video posted on Jan. 15, she said that she has been hospitalised again as her cancer cells have spread to her ribs and pleura, requiring another round of operations.

Solo journey

Xiaxia explained that she first learnt of her illness after she suddenly fainted during her college entrance exams in 2021.

The doctor she saw then told her that she had a malignant bone cancer and recommended she go to Beijing for treatment.

Her parents, however, refused to take her there.

According to Xiaxia, her mother said she was a burden to the family, and her parents did not want to pursue treatment because of the high hospital and medical fees.

A year after she was diagnosed, her mother cut off contact with her, and her father has not visited her once, HK01 reported.

To 100 years

Under such difficult circumstances, Xiaxia has nevertheless shown great independence and a positive mindset.

She signed off on her own surgical consent forms, saved up money to buy a prosthetic limb for herself, and travelled to different places seeking medical treatment.

When she talked about having to amputate a leg to survive, she said that it was very much worth it to trade a leg for a life.

She also expressed optimism in entering her age on her Douyin page as "100", signalling that her goal is to live to 100 years old.

Even with the new surgery she will need, she maintained her cheerfulness in her Jan. 15 video.

"Although doing this alone is truly very tough, I feel very lucky to receive support and encouragement from the media and everyone," she said.

"I will carry everyone's love with me and strive to keep going and survive."

Top images from 奇迹夏夏（血槽65%）/Douyin and Chinese media