Overview
- Facing uremia and no family donor, Wang Xiao posted in a cancer support group seeking a terminally ill spouse who would leave her a kidney.
- Myeloma patient Yu Jianping replied, and the two quietly registered their marriage in July 2013 under an agreement for posthumous kidney donation with separate finances.
- To fund Yu’s bone-marrow transplant, Wang sold flower bouquets and publicized their story, raising about 500,000 yuan.
- By mid-2014, doctors reported Yu’s condition stabilized and Wang’s dialysis needs dropped sharply, followed by a celebratory wedding banquet in February 2015; recent reports say they now run a flower shop in Xi’an and remain in stable health.
- Their journey inspired the 2024 film Viva La Vida, which Mint reports earned about $38 million worldwide, won acting awards at the 19th Changchun Film Festival, and is available on Netflix.