The Chinese Woman & Her Battle With Bone Cancer.

Cancers can be quite devastating, and chordoma is one of such. It is a type of cancer that usually arises from the bone of the skull or the backbone. A chordoma grows very slowly over time and it is so rare that in America, just about one in one million have it every year, that's just about 300 patients annually. As at now, there is no link with genes or the environment. Chordoma is what this poor Chinese mother suffers from. 

Aged 40, Ms Li Hongfang was shunned and embarrassed in public because of the 70 massive growths on her face which grossly disfigured her. She suffered like that for over 10 years simply because she was too poor to finance the surgery which costs £60,000 (N15 million!) But as her story spread, she eventually found succour and help when some doctors in Shaanxi Province decided to carry out the surgery for her free of charge (I am suspecting from the pictures that they are military doctors in China who help poor peasants out with medical care).  

Hear her: She said: 'I feel my head is lighter, and I must look better. I want to save the big time to the time when the surgery swelling goes down. It could be the best gift to me.'


The surgery went on well but surgeons say that they will still have to operate her in a year so as to clear the hidden growths in her skull, nose and throat (some skilled ENT (ear, nose & throat) surgeons there!). 


She says:


 'I am so grateful to the people who made this happen.'

'I just want to look normal again, like I feel inside. I'm not a monster and I don't want to look like one.'

With the doctor. 

The growth first appeared in 2001 and she thought it was just a harmless insect bite as it did not pain her at all but with time it increased in size. She removed it via surgery in 2005 but that did not stop the growths. Although the growths were benign, her face was badly disfigured and had a hectic time in public. 

Then tragedy struck: her husband died. Then she had two kids with him and lived happily. 

She said: 'We didn't have much money but we were very happy and we loved each other and our two boys (17 and 14 years). I would say life was good then.'

Hugging her son before surgery. Iyaniwura. 

Going home with her husband with a new face. 

But not too long after, she met Guo Yingping, 4 years younger, they became friends and married. With a population of 1.3 billion, the Chinese government is finding it very challenging to provide adequate healthcare to all, especially the millions living in the villages. 

After the surgery, she said she wouldn't check the mirror now until the swelling goes down :) 

Well, Iyaniwura is glad that she can now smile once again. 


CREDITS: DAILYMAIL (UK)