After losing both parents, Jiang, being the only child, chose IVF for a second kid to prevent her son from feeling the loneliness she endured. -- Photo: Shutterstock via SCMP
BEIJING (SCMP): A woman in northern China has faced serious online backlash for having a second child through IVF while her son battles leukaemia, all while incurring heavy debts and working as a food delivery rider.
The 29-year-old woman, surnamed Jiang, hails from Zhengzhou in Henan province. She sparked widespread discussion after giving birth prematurely to her daughter on November 13 at just 31 weeks, following a fall during a delivery.
According to Henan Broadcasting System, Jiang has been raising her sick son alone since her divorce in 2022, relying on her job as a delivery rider to make ends meet.
Her son was diagnosed with leukaemia after a hospital visit for a persistent fever revealed abnormal blood test results. Following the diagnosis, her ex-husband expressed a desire to abandon their son, insisting that his surname be changed to hers.
Currently, the five-year survival rate for leukaemia patients in China ranges from 60 to 90 per cent, as reported by China Medical Herald.
Fortunately, her son has shown significant improvement following medical treatment and is currently in recovery, with a promising prognosis that indicates a bone-marrow transplant is unnecessary.
Having lost both of her parents, Jiang, being the only child, decided to pursue IVF for a second kid to prevent her son from experiencing the same loneliness she endured.
Following her son’s leukaemia diagnosis, her ex-husband expressed a desire to abandon him and insisted on changing his surname to hers. -- Photo: Shutterstock / SCMP
“I grew up without parents, and I’ve always felt a profound loneliness. If I passed away, my son would be left without any family. I wanted him to have a sibling,” she shared with Red Star News.
Jiang’s first IVF attempt in April last year failed, but she succeeded on her second attempt a year later.
Despite legal restrictions in China against single women seeking IVF, it remains unclear how Jiang was able to proceed with the procedure.
While delivering food, Jiang experienced abdominal pain and prematurely gave birth to her baby girl on November 13, with the baby weighing only 1.5kg.
Faced with significant medical costs, Jiang has turned to crowdfunding to support her daughter’s ICU care, which exceeds 3,000 yuan (US$420) per day, in addition to the 500,000 yuan (US$69,000) debt from her son’s leukaemia treatment.
Jiang stated that her financial situation was once stable due to an inheritance from her late parents, but it has since been depleted by her son’s leukaemia treatment. -- Photo: Baidu/大皖新闻
“My situation used to be fine. My parents left me a house, a car, and money when they passed away. But treating my son’s leukaemia has left me heavily in debt. Even though I now earn 3,000 to 6,000 yuan per month delivering food, I think leaving my son with family is more important than my financial burden,” Jiang remarked.
However, Jiang’s decision to have a second child amid her dire financial situation has drawn sharp criticism from netizens.
“Divorced, a son battling leukaemia, working in food delivery, heavily in debt, and undergoing IVF for a second child – it’s hard to believe someone would choose to connect all these dots in their life,” one viewer commented.
“The younger one is born into hardship, the elder is trapped in sickness, and the mother is buried in struggle. Why force this upon them?” another asked.
Meanwhile, some have expressed empathy and support, stating: “The child is already here, and the situation is what it is. She has a long road ahead. Let’s support this mother!” - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
