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Home>Service> Awardees of Fervent Global Love of Lives Award> 19th Fervent Global Love of Lives Award 2016> Anticancer Single Mother ─Ya-Fen Liu
Anticancer Single Mother ─Ya-Fen Liu
[Beat Cancer ‧ Draw Light]
Life can be delighted or dejected. Lead your life as you choose.
─Ya-Fen Liu
Assume Heavy Burden of the Family's Developing Cancer
        Ya-Fen Liu, who serves as an art teacher in charity organizations, was born in Baihe District in 1967, Tainan City. She has three siblings, and is the third child. Back then when people preferred boys to girls, a daughter meant loss of money. Therefore, she has been brought up with the idea that it is unnecessary for girls to receive good education, since they will end up being a housewife!
        However, she has had an unyielding personality since she was little! She undertook part-time study program until graduating from higher vocational college. It has always been her belief that she will succeed and attain achievements as long as she works hard! 
        After graduating from higher vocational college, she tried a wide variety of jobs, including plant operator, travel agency leader, newsgirl, milkman, beautician, yoga teacher, lifeguard and swimming instructor. She obtained the certificates she liked and found her niche in life!
        Her life attaches great importance to constant pursuit and peak of career, but no significance to health! She often burns the midnight oil, and does not eat properly.
The Only Sun Suffered from Brain Cancer ‧ Husband Died of Lung Cancer
        Ya-Fen's only son was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of four. After surgery and chemotherapy, he visited the hospital every few days. Soon, her husband was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Ya-Fen felt torn by father, son and work.
She Developed Cecum Cancer, Colorectal Cancer and Ovarian Cancer because of Overstrain
        One year after her husband had cancer, she unexpectedly suffered from cecum cancer. Though she was frail, she had to take care of her husband whose symptoms were more serious than hers. In the worst case, they lived in three different hospitals. Confronted with the family's developing cancer, she played multiple roles, that is, patient, family and caregiver of son and husband. Despite immense pain, she had no choice but to silently face and cope with it.
        Her husband died shortly after catching the cancer. The medical expenses of three family members made the family debt-ridden. Worse still, enormous pressure caused her to suffer from stage III colorectal cancer. After struggling to lead a quiet life for a few years, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Beat Cancer ‧ Draw Light
        In the face of a series of blows, Ya-Fen had intended to commit suicide, but she gritted her teeth, when thinking that her son had just started school, lost father and could not lose mother! She could not be beaten for the sake of her son! She must try harder for her son!
        During the illness, Ya-Fen found peace, forgot pain, identified dream and saw hope from painting. Therefore, she beats the cancer, gets rid of sorrow, paints hope and life, and draws light. Hence, she is worthy of Anticancer Single Mother. Among the 2459 nominees for the medal, Ya–Fen Liu has been award the 19th Global Fervent Love of Lives Medal by the Chou Ta-kuan Foundation.
No Care and Love from Parents
        Ya-Fen Liu, born in Baihe District, Tainan City, has three siblings, and is the third child. Her parents' resources were allocated to her two elder sisters, thereby with limited resources available to her. Back then when people preferred boys to girls, a daughter meant loss of money. Therefore, she has been brought up with the idea that it is unnecessary for girls to receive good education, since they will end up being a housewife!
Never Admit Defeat, Never Give up
She has had an unyielding personality since she was little! She undertook part-time study program until graduating from higher vocational college. It has always been her belief that she will succeed and attain achievements as long as she works hard!
        After graduating from higher vocational college, she tried a wide variety of jobs, including plant operator, travel agency leader, newsgirl, milkman, beautician, yoga teacher, lifeguard and swimming instructor. She obtained the certificates she liked and found her niche in life!
A Family of Three Developed Cancer Successively
At the age of 30, Ya-Fen resolutely decided to get married. In order free their son from fear of shortage, the couple constantly pursued and sought career peaks, desiring to earn more money but ignoring health! She often burns the midnight oil, and does not eat properly. Son is frail, often out of the hospital.
Ya-Fen's only son was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of four. After surgery and chemotherapy, he visited the hospital every few days. Soon, her husband was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Ya-Fen felt torn by father, son and work.
      One year after her husband had cancer, she unexpectedly suffered from cecum cancer. Though she was frail, she had to take care of her husband whose symptoms were more serious than hers. In the worst case, they lived in three different hospitals. Confronted with the family's developing cancer, she played multiple roles, that is, patient, family and caregiver of son and husband. Despite immense pain, she had no choice but to silently face and cope with it.
        Her husband died shortly after catching the cancer. The medical expenses of three family members made the family debt-ridden. Worse still, enormous pressure caused her to suffer from stage III colorectal cancer. After struggling to lead a quiet life for a few years, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
In the face of a series of blows, Ya-Fen had intended to commit suicide, but she gritted her teeth, when thinking that her son had just started school, lost father and could not lose mother! She could not be beaten for the sake of her son! She must try harder for her son!
Painting of Returning Home ‧ Touch People's Hearts
        When suffering from cancer, Ya-Fen did not forget her greatest interest. In the course of fighting against cancer, she cheered herself up by painting. It was from painting that she found peace. Also, it was because of painting that she could temporarily forget these sufferings and tests. What is more, she won the third place of "Paint Hope" painting contest organized by the Hope Foundation for Cancer Care in 2014, and created her work themed "Returning Home".
        The family of three often spent time in the ward, and their greatest longing was to return home, so for her, "Returning Home" had multiple meanings.
        During the illness, she found peace, forget pain, identified dream and saw hope from painting. She got rid of sorrow, painted hope and life and became optimistic.
Positively Face, Never Compromise
        Her strongest feeling from the fact that all families caught cancer is that she is most grateful to two types of people, namely, those affirming her and those despising her.
        Those affirming her always lend a helping hand, whereas those despising her always add insult to injury.
        But she knows that it is the ordeal God gave her! Bitter as the ordeal is, but she still lives in the moment! Seize every day and every second.
        She always appears so optimistic and sanguine that nobody feels that she experienced so much suffering and ordeal. She often encourages other cancer friends and shares her life course. She always thinks that mood can affect the disease. She entrusts the medical treatment to doctors while she herself is responsible for curing her mind, because many cancer friends are, in fact, "scared to death" by themselves, and they are in constant fear of failing to survive tomorrow! In case of any adversity, she fears no difficulties and bravely forges ahead! Owing to no way of escape, she must defeat the disease and never give up!
        She often shares her experience, and encourages people in the same dilemma everywhere. Her belief is that the meaning of life is not concerned with how long you live, but with how many people you can influence and help, which is the true meaning of life! Therefore, "Life can be delighted or dejected. Lead your life as you choose", as she tells everyone she meets.