What should have been one of the happiest times in a first-time mother's life quickly turned into a living nightmare. Within months of finding out she was pregnant with her first child, 26-year-old television host Qui Yuanyuan was diagnosed with cancer. Determined to have her baby, Yuanyuan made the ultimate sacrifice: she chose not to undergo chemotherapy in favor of keeping her baby. Ultimately, her decision cost Yuanyuan her life, but not before she gave birth to a healthy baby boy–and a nationwide debate over whether or not what she did was truly selfless. Unbelievable!
Read more ¿Qué más?: Woman survives being dead for 45 minutes after giving birth
Yuanyuan, an up-and-coming Chinese television host, was diagnosed with an advanced form of womb cancer in July 2014, just a mere three months after the aspiring television host found out she was pregnant. Doctors told the expectant mother she would have to undergo chemotherapy, but she refused. She wanted to protect her baby. And she did. In September, Yuanyuan gave birth to a healthy, albeit tiny and premature baby boy via C-section, after which doctors tried to remove her tumor and finally begin chemo. But it was already too late. Yuanyuan only got to spend approximately 100 days with her baby boy. She died on December 10, 2014.
In the wake of her untimely passing, Yuanyuan has been celebrated by many as a "goddess" and good mother. I'm inclined to agree. Though she didn't have a lot of time with her son, I believe she did what she thought was in his best interest. She was selfless. That takes guts. However, there are plenty of people out there who disagree. One commenter in an online forum writes, "Leaving a little life alone in the world, such a heartless mother." And yet another critic adds, "It's not a beautiful thing if a child is born with no care and love from its natural mother." Really, guys? That's out of line.
Let's all be honest here: this chica would have been damned if she did have chemo and damned if she didn't; people would have criticized her regardless. At the very least, she did what felt right in her gut, and she died happy in the knowledge that she'd fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming a mami. Her husband told the Zhengzhou Evening News that her "biggest wish" had been to be a mom. "She chose to save our child; she understood that not everything in life can be perfect," he said in an interview with the Morning Post. "And she said she had never regretted her decision." That's all that matters.
Image via Corbis
