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Chinese woman with ALS hosts farewell ceremony at funeral home, says disease cannot freeze ‘optimism, love and hope’
A Chinese woman living with ALS held a farewell ceremony at a funeral home to celebrate love, gratitude and life.
A 42 year old Chinese woman living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis for the past eight years recently held a farewell ceremony at a funeral home, not to mourn death but to celebrate love, resilience and life.
As reported by South China Morning Post, Liu Jie organised the deeply moving gathering at a funeral parlour in Chongqing municipality in southwestern China.
Liu, who was once a tour guide, was diagnosed with ALS eight years ago. Since then, her life has been shaped by both physical decline and emotional struggle. She has openly spoken about enduring multiple breakdowns as she watched her condition gradually worsen, affecting her independence and ability to communicate.
From a difficult childhood to a fulfilled life
Reflecting on her early years, Liu described herself as a sensitive child who struggled with low self esteem following her parents’ divorce. Her life, she said, changed for the better after her stepmother entered her world and treated her as her own daughter. With renewed confidence, Liu gained admission to university, built a career as a tour guide, married and later became a mother.
That sense of fulfilment, however, was tested after her ALS diagnosis. Over time, Liu lost control of her fingers, legs and mouth, eventually becoming unable to walk or speak. In her darkest moments, she even stopped eating. It was then that fellow ALS patients, volunteers and social workers stepped in, offering care and emotional support.
At the farewell ceremony, Liu described these people as “angels” who “shed light in her life.”
Technology gives her a voice
As per a report by SCMP, although Liu can neither walk nor speak, she communicates using an eye gaze device that allows her to type by focusing on letters on a screen. The machine then vocalises her words. The same device also enables her to adjust her bed and control the television. Videos demonstrating this technology have been shared on her social media account, which has attracted over 63,000 followers.
Liu said that while the illness has stiffened her body, it has softened her heart. She shared that she smiles more often now, hoping to comfort others even after losing her voice.
Optimism that will never freeze
During the ceremony, Liu thanked her stepmother, cousin, friends and even strangers who supported her, calling them lights in her life. She also invited fellow ALS patients to uplift their spirits, insisting that the disease would never “freeze” her “optimism, love, and hope.”
ALS is often described as a “freezing disease” because patients remain mentally aware while their bodies gradually lose mobility. A video shown at the ceremony featured photographs from Liu’s life, similar to a traditional funeral tribute. Yet Liu made it clear she was not saying goodbye to life but completing it in her own way.
According to SCMP, China has nearly 100,000 ALS patients. Liu has also chosen to donate her body after death, turning her farewell into a lasting act of generosity.
