Liu Yi, a young woman from southwestern China’s Sichuan province, passed away in April at the age of 25. 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, a place known as the country’s paradise. 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 by the time she passed away.
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.
Liu’s bravery and passion for life has touched many people online. “I hope she can dress beautifully and sing her favourite songs forever in Heaven,” one person wrote. “Even though the pain from cancer seized her body, it never affected her soul,” @Baozaoxiansheng said.
