Dying China mother with cancer who decides to create 999 ‘legacy photos’ backed by millions online

• Cosplaying influencer, 42, admired for passion that rivals young enthusiasts
• Tumour diagnosis will not dim spirit as she creates pictorial legacy

A mature cosplaying influencer in China with breast cancer has announced her ambition to appear in 999 “legacy photos”, garnering widespread support online.

The 42-year-old mother-of-three, who has about 150,000 followers on the Bilibili social media platform where she is known as “Beiye is Superman”, has long been admired for cosplay that rivals younger enthusiasts.

She includes her children in her cosplay activities by turning their home into a version of a live-action comic convention.

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On March 8, the woman posted a video sharing her breast cancer diagnosis and her decision to complete the photo shoots in a series titled “42-year-old Cancer Mum Challenges to Complete 999 Sets of Life’s Legacy Photos”.

The mature cosplaying influencer says she will not let her cancer diagnosis dim her spirit. Photo: Bilibili

With possibly only three to 10 years to live, she has developed a fervent desire to leave behind a collection of images for her children and followers to remember her by.

“When I’m gone one day, they will not know which beautiful photo to choose for my tombstone. So they will not have time to grieve,” she says in the video.

The mother wants to create the images of herself wearing a wide variety of costumes, hoping to “capture as many moments as possible before potentially losing my hair due to the cancer treatment”.

A maternity look came first with the cosplayer recreating the time when she was expecting.

“I never took maternity photos during my pregnancies. Not having maternity photos feels like a significant regret in my life. I want to capture a moment that once held great value to me,” the woman said.

For the photo shoot, she wore a tank top and jeans over a fake belly she had prepared.

As she recounted the challenges of her pregnancies, she was moved to tears.

“When I’m gone my DNA will still exist in this world, which symbolises immortality,” she said.

Other themes she hopes to include in her photo project are boxing, ancient bridal attire and the daily life of a food market.

“I allow the tumour to grow inside me, but I refuse to let it dominate my spirit. Life before and after cancer only represents a shift to a different path. The path now may be full of thorns and dangers, but as long as I remain brave, I believe brightness lies ahead,” she said.

There has been an outpouring of support and sympathy online for the mother-of-three. Photo: Bilibili

The video of her maternity photo shoot has hit an emotional nerve, attracting 1.8 million views and a surge of support online.

“These are not legacy photos, sister, they are recovery documenting photos. Waiting for the day you recover,” said one online observer.

“What legacy photos? Clearly, they are beautiful memories you’ll look back on with your family after you beat cancer,” said another.

“Although I’m just one of your many fans, you’ve really lived in a way I’ve always aspired to. We’re all cheering for you. The anime community is unbeatable. Sister, you will recover. Everything will get better, keep fighting,” said a third person.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

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