Livestreamer Chen Meiying, 39, declared herself ‘cured’ to her thousands of followers after a battle with triple-negative breast cancer – but tragically died just two months later
A popular livestreamer who documented her battle with cancer online has died only months after announcing to her followers that she was “cured”.
Chen Meiying, a 39-year-old mum of one, passed away on October 12 after a year-long fight with triple-negative breast cancer – one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Her diagnosis in 2024 had completely upended her life, forcing her to close her small clothing shop and watch as mounting hospital bills burned through her family’s savings.
She turned to livestreaming on social media platform TikTok, where she would sing traditional songs on camera in exchange for donations.
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Despite her illness, Meiying, originally from Chongqing, China, always put on a positive display on camera. Her 17,000 followers saw a woman who was warm, cheerful and always smiling.
Then, on 16 April, she stunned her audience by removing her IV line and declaring herself “cured”. But just two months later, the cancer returned tragedy struck again.
The cancer returned and spread rapidly to her bones and internal mammary lymph nodes. Doctors told her there was no cure left – only treatments to extend her life.
Even as her health declined, Meiying refused to give up on her daily routines. Her teenage daughter, who was in her final year of high school, remained her biggest motivation – and Meiying insisted on continuing the school run, even when she was in pain.
She shared her final post on September 22, and by September 26, she was hospitalised again. Meiying died on October 12 and was laid to rest in her hometown a few days after her death, survived by her elderly mother.
The inspiring mum had once said: “You can be poor, you can be tired, but you cannot be unhappy, because unhappiness makes you sick.”
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a particularly aggressive and hard-to-treat form of invasive breast cancer. Compared with other types, TNBC grows and spreads more quickly, has fewer treatment options, and is generally associated with a poorer prognosis.
According to Cancer Research UK, the disease “develops more often in women under 40 years”, and can also develop in men, although it is “very rare”.