Taiwanese entertainment icon Yu Tian’s 2nd daughter dies

台灣娛樂領袖余天二女兒去世

Yu Yuan-chi underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapy, but finally succumbed to cancer


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese entertainer and legislator Yu Tian’s (余天) second daughter Yu Yuan-chi (余苑綺) died on Sunday (Aug. 21) after fighting rectal cancer for eight years. She was 39 years old.

Yu Tien confirmed the death of his daughter on Sunday, saying that her condition deteriorated suddenly on Sunday.

The family was attempting emergency life-saving treatment on Yu Yuan-chi, but she had signed a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) agreement, CNA reported. Yu Tian said his daughter had fought cancer for so many years, and now that she had passed away, she wouldn't have to suffer anymore.

Yu Yuan-chi was diagnosed with stage 3 rectal cancer in 2014, and underwent 12 rounds of chemotherapy. She got married in 2017 after the diagnosis, gave birth to a daughter and a son in 2017 and 2019, respectively. However, as she was immersed in the joy of having a second baby, she relapsed, and the cancer cells spread to her liver and lungs.

Yu Tien had told media that his daughter coughed for four or five months when she was pregnant with her son, and the family felt that something was wrong. However, Yu Yuan-chi didn’t want to take X-ray examinations during her pregnancy for fear of harming the fetus.

So, Yu Yuan-chi took x-ray tests right after she delivered her son, but the results were heartbreaking to the family, Yu Tien said.

The Yu family had been with Yu Yuan-chi every step of the way during her cancer fight, which saw her undergo numerous rounds of chemotherapy and new clinical trials, according to media reports. Her condition was sometimes fair, but would deteriorate from time to time.

Even though she had to rely on morphine and painkillers to reduce pain, she had consistently presented herself positively and helped raise funds for underprivileged cancer patients, per CNA.