Sick woman sought cancer patient as husband for his kidney, only to fall in love after marriage 

As the couple shared days of treatment and nights of quiet conversation, humour and optimism replaced despair. (AI-generated image)

A sick Chinese woman's desperate attempt to secure a healthy kidney from a cancer patient to survive has ended in a marriage built on love and resilience.

Wang Xiao's story started in 2014 when she was 24 and was diagnosed with uremia -- a condition caused by the buildup of toxins in the blood when the kidneys fail to filter waste properly. According to a report in South China Morning Post (SCMP), Wang had only a year to live without a kidney transplant. With no matching donors among her relatives, she made an unconventional move—she posted a marriage advertisement in a cancer support group. Her plea was blunt yet heartbreaking:
“I will take the best care of you after marriage. Please forgive me; I just want to live.”

Days later, Yu Jianping, 27, responded. His blood type matched hers. Yu was battling relapsed bone marrow cancer and was surviving on medication after his father sold their home to fund treatment. In July 2013, the two quietly registered their marriage under a pact: Yu would donate a kidney after his death, and Wang would care for him and his father until then.

From a modest wedding to a hit film

But as they shared days of treatment and nights of quiet conversation, humour and optimism replaced despair. Against all odds, both regained health. In February 2015, they celebrated with a modest wedding banquet—a far cry from the silent registry that began their journey.

Their story later inspired the hit film Viva La Vida, which premiered in 2024 and grossed over 276 million yuan (US$38 million), SCMP reported. Today, the couple reportedly runs a flower shop in Xi’an, living quietly and in stable health.

As their story resurfaced and went viral, the publication quoted one online user who captured the sentiment sweeping social media: “A marriage born from desperation turned into a miracle of love.”