The Last 8 Months of a 28-Year-Old Archaeology PhD: Finding Humanity Amidst Illness | Patient Story
Even when squeezed into the smallest corner by fate, one can still stand upright and maintain kindness toward the world. — Sister Jin
The Little Doctor’s journey with the Panda Hepatobiliary Group began on August 9, 2025, just one month after his diagnosis of ICC (intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma).
As an administrator of the Panda Hepatobiliary Group who has connected with thousands of patients and consulted numerous specialists, Lynn is well aware of ICC’s severity. This rare but rapidly progressing cancer often leaves patients past the optimal window for surgery by the time of diagnosis.
By the time the Little Doctor was diagnosed, his cancer was already at an advanced stage.
Lynn still remembers his first message in the group: “By the way, is it okay to eat McDonald’s during chemo? (Though I already did.)” It carried a young person’s straightforwardness, and sometimes even a calm acceptance of “knowing better but doing it anyway.”
[ The Little Doctor’s first message in the group ]
Group member S.mile initially thought that a PhD student suddenly diagnosed at the peak of his youth might be somewhat arrogant, or perhaps consumed by self-pity and anxiety over his fate.
“Only after getting to know him did I realize how exceptionally calm and humble he was. He spoke slowly, with a tone full of gentleness,” S.mile recalled. The Little Doctor soon became the busiest person in the group.
Whether in the Panda group or on Xiaohongshu, he was always seen offering help. Even when bedridden with a high fever, he never stopped bringing warmth to others.
He repeatedly encouraged everyone to pursue standardized treatment, actively learn medical knowledge, and take charge of their own health. Every word and action aligned perfectly with the group’s values.
His gentle and clear-minded nature made him the beloved “group favorite” in Panda Hepatobiliary Group 3.
「 II 」
The Jiahao I saw was both rational and compassionate. I often think you must deeply love humanity and this world. — ever
“The Little Doctor possesses an extraordinary capacity for empathy,” many who met him observed. He could always sense the helplessness and confusion hidden between the lines, which is why he often proactively reached out to invite patients in need into the group.
Ranjiang was the first patient the Little Doctor met online. He once shared with her how he had fallen into many pitfalls and encountered absurd medical practices during his initial treatment. To prevent others from making the same mistakes, he worked tirelessly to “rescue” people on Xiaohongshu.
Group member Sister Jin remembers him as someone who “maintained a methodical routine even when the situation wasn’t optimistic.” He organized information clearly, patiently answered questions in the group, and “even proactively checked on different patients to offer thoughtful comfort.”
His unreserved dedication stemmed from a keen empathy for suffering. He once wrote: “I think I am someone who often senses hardship. As Haruki Murakami said, between the high wall and the egg, I will always stand with the egg. That is also the origin of my username.”
“Because you are so good, everyone wants you to receive the best care,” group member Monster reflected. For this reason, everyone in Hepatobiliary Group 3 cared for him deeply.
「 III 」
He was such a vibrant person: capable of calmly writing academic papers as a rigorous archaeology PhD student, yet also able to enjoy life and play like an ordinary young man. — S.mile
Outside of treatment, the Little Doctor never lost his passion for life.
After his diagnosis, he traveled alone to Sichuan, his spiritual hometown where he spent four years of college. Fearing he might never have the chance to return, he insisted on visiting Chengdu.
In Xichang, he witnessed two rainbows stretching across the sky. “The wind by Qionghai Lake felt so soothing, it made me forget I was sick,” he said. As he ate rice noodles and shredded chicken, he suddenly felt that his life had truly been worth living.
When a medical appointment clashed with a long-awaited concert, he hesitated about refunding his ticket but ultimately decided to attend after Lynn’s encouragement. “I fully understand the aggressiveness of his tumor. I believe if there’s a chance to enjoy life, you must seize it. Don’t abandon all your passions and hobbies just because of treatment,” she said.
When doctors were off, he took time to citywalk around the hospital. Even before surgery, he walked 30,000 steps through the Forbidden City. “I’m done for,” he joked in the group. “Now no one will believe I’m sick.”
On his way to Langfang, he made a special stop in Tianjin to have a meal with Lynn and Ranjiang. During their first meeting, they each received a Jellycat plush toy from him.
[ Lynn placed the sunflower plush toy next to her volunteer trophy ]
Lynn received a sunflower, while Ranjiang got a peanut, symbolizing “good things happening.” A young man battling illness still remembered to convey his care in such a delicate way between hospital visits. “Perhaps only he could do that.”
Even while recovering post-surgery, he never let go of his love for archaeology. Friends recalled that around that time, the archaeological report Wushan Daxi: Neolithic Site was published. Learning that reaching a certain number of likes would earn him a copy, he specifically asked friends to help him like the post.
The Little Doctor loved chatting with others about football, food, games, movies, history, and archaeological excavations... He never let illness trap him on a single track, but always embraced the richness of the world with a pure heart.
「 IV 」
You have a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Though you often speak bluntly, you love your family more than anyone. Even when you say a question is pointless, you still answer it patiently. — Monster
The Little Doctor wasn’t always just a gentle pushover.
Several times, when someone misled patients in the group, slandered administrators, or questioned doctors, the Little Doctor “spoke up passionately.” He feared members would be exploited, good doctors would be overlooked, and this already vulnerable community would suffer further harm.
The illness made him clearer about what was worth fighting for, and it made him love those around him more fiercely than ever.
Lynn remembers that his mother had long struggled with knee problems. To get her surgery done quickly, he repeatedly urged her to seek medical care despite his own illness. “I told her to get her meniscus checked and treated back in October, but she kept putting it off.”
While firmly pushing his mother to undergo knee surgery, he couldn’t help but vent his frustration in the group over his family’s reluctance to cooperate.
“I just had a huge fight with my mom. She’s having surgery tomorrow but doesn’t want to bring this or that, complaining it’s too much trouble. So I decided, tomorrow I’ll pull out my own tubes and go to the operating room with her.”
“As long as I’m alive, everyone has to listen to me!”
This was the Little Doctor, Monster said: occasionally pessimistic, yet always resilient.
「 V 」
You have so many friends willing to drop work and studies, traveling thousands of miles to care for you. But we all know it’s because you are such a wonderful person, and you truly deserve it. — Ranjiang
“His most remarkable trait is how exceptionally good he is at making friends,” group member Pai reflected. From young peers to older elders, everyone was willing to open up to him.
Though he always hated troubling others, upon hearing of his illness, friends took leave from Sichuan, Yunnan, and elsewhere to travel to the hospital and stay by his side. As he moved between cities for treatment, friends were always there.
After surgery in Langfang, his recovery was not smooth. During his month-long hospital stay, his neighboring bed changed hands many times. “He said he met nine grandpas in Langfang,” Lynn laughed. One of them was often encouraged by the Little Doctor. After he was discharged, that grandpa would tell new patients, “My previous neighbor was a PhD student, absolutely amazing.”
In ever’s eyes, the Little Doctor always viewed the world with a broad perspective. With his rich knowledge and gentle heart, he warmly embraced everyone around him who showed kindness, and in return, he received deep care and goodwill from his friends.
On a weekend in late 2025, several group members happened to be in Shanghai. Upon hearing this, the Little Doctor jokingly invited them to spend the weekend in his ward. Knowing they might not see him again, they took the opportunity while he was still doing relatively well to visit him in Nantong.
[ The Little Doctor with flowers from group members ]
Unexpectedly, the joke came true, and the Little Doctor said he “felt like dying of embarrassment.” But after everyone left that day, he wrote on Xiaohongshu: “When hardship truly strikes, one cannot have enough light and strength to bear it unprepared. Fortunately, there are always people who will pat my shoulder and tell me, I will never walk alone.”
「 VI 」
The Panda Group made me truly feel that this is not just a simple gathering of patients and families, but a place where people can still rely on each other in their darkest hours. — Devan
After his tumor recurred, and with his mother just recovering from knee surgery, he temporarily had no family by his side. When group members learned he was barely holding on with cheap antibiotics and painkillers, after thorough communication with doctors, they decided to transfer him back to the Langfang hospital that performed his initial surgery to seek more treatment options.
With the support of several doctors and Director Han, and coordinated by Lynn, hepatobiliary group members stepped up to launch a hospital transfer spanning Nantong, Langfang, and Tianjin.
Before leaving, to spare the helping members any psychological burden, he sent a WeChat message to his mother: “I arranged this treatment myself. If any issues arise during the process, it’s my own choice. Under no circumstances should you trouble others afterward.”
Group members Monster, Ranjiang, KK, Pai, Fanfan, and others warmly assisted him with admission procedures, exam scheduling, and follow-up treatment coordination. Unfortunately, his condition was not optimistic, and the hope of “trying surgery one more time” ultimately remained out of reach.
Ultimately, he underwent a DSA-guided biliary drainage procedure (PTCD) at a hospital in Tianjin, temporarily relieving the life-threatening crisis.
[ After surgery, everyone accompanied the Little Doctor in the ward ]
In this relay of life, Panda Hepatobiliary Group volunteers and members gathered the power of kindness. Lynn and others pushed past their own limits, took a crucial step in deeply communicating with doctors, and accumulated valuable experience to help more patients in the future.
“KK was especially brave,” Lynn reflected. “She stayed with the Little Doctor to face those harsh medical realities. For us, it was also a ‘life lesson.’”
「 VII 」
Life is so unpredictable. Some people you think you’ll see again, you’ve actually already met for the last time. — Devan
In the following days, as his health declined, he still actively fought the tumor. He repeatedly asked if he could go to Nanjing for further chemotherapy and specifically messaged Director C, who had previously treated him.
Director C deeply understood the hardships of his solitary medical journey and felt great compassion, even struggling at times on how to respond to his earnest request. However, aggressive treatment was no longer the best option for him at that stage. After much hesitation, she formally entrusted a local doctor in Nantong to admit him and provide full supportive care.
On January 25, the Little Doctor departed for Nantong. Group members accompanied him to Tianjin South Railway Station, which turned out to be their final meeting.
Looking back on that day, Lynn remembers the atmosphere was relatively peaceful. The group walked with him into the waiting room, chatted briefly, and saw him onto the train.
[ At the high-speed rail station waiting room, the final meeting with the Little Doctor ]
Back in Nantong, he continued receiving pain management and supportive care, though the treatment effects were not ideal.
After the Lunar New Year in 2026, his tumor continued to progress rapidly.
February 18 was Lynn’s birthday. Just past midnight, she received a congratulatory message from him. It was their last WeChat conversation. “Happy New Year~” he said. “Thank you for the light along the way.”
A few days later, Lynn suddenly received the news of his passing.
「 VIII 」
He was never optimistic in the traditional sense. Rather, he was a pessimist who, after seeing the truth of life, still chose to love it. — Lynn
“Everyone in the group knew his cancer was at a late stage, his condition was poor, and his post-op recovery was particularly rough, yet no one ever saw him wallow in negativity.”
In fact, early in his diagnosis, he had already researched medical literature and gained a clear, rational understanding of his condition. He never blindly believed he could defeat the cancer, but he simply did not expect life’s end to arrive so suddenly, just eight months after diagnosis.
His attending physician once said that while many patients feel lost after diagnosis, the Little Doctor always faced his illness with clarity and seriousness, calmly analyzing every “card” in his hand. It was this rationality that earned him the favor and dedicated care of many doctors. Luck, however, was never on his side.
This perseverance and helplessness were exactly why group members insisted on fighting for one more chance at treatment for him.
「 IX 」
Don’t envy others’ OS (overall survival), and don’t just copy their paths. Walk your own road, raise your awareness, strive for the best, but prepare for the worst. — The Little Doctor
The Little Doctor loved the movie Her Story. The line Wang Tiemei often said, “I am upright, brave, and well-read,” became his truest portrait.
He probably never knew that his sincerity and stubbornness were what made his friends willing to run errands for him.
“He often felt embarrassed by everyone’s help, but you don’t realize it’s all because you deserve it,” Monster said.
Long ago, he clearly expressed his desire to become a volunteer. He always felt that volunteering required sufficient knowledge, and since he didn’t feel qualified yet, he quietly prepared. Fate, however, did not give him enough time.
The Little Doctor who loved the Panda Group has left, but his love for the group remains.
After his passing, he left a special sum of money for the Panda Group. It was the funds group members had voluntarily transferred to him during his hospitalization, which he never touched. He had previously told friends he wanted to donate this money to the group to help more patients in need.
Scrolling through the Panda Hepatobiliary Group chat logs again, his lively words instantly bring back memories of that gentle, warm-hearted Little Doctor. Lynn turned his chat messages into stickers. “If members ask questions in the group in the future, these stickers can ‘speak for him.’”
In a sense, the Little Doctor will forever remain in the Panda Hepatobiliary Group as a special member of the volunteer team. Everyone’s greatest wish is for his spirit to stay in the group forever, and in the hearts of everyone he warmed.
When misfortune strikes, there are always those who refuse to be an extinguished lighthouse, choosing instead to become a beam of light that passes on strength.
The boundaries of medicine are clear, and no one can cross them. But within these boundaries, we can still choose how to treat each other—to cure sometimes, to help often, to comfort always.
Surgery did not bring a miracle, but beyond miracles, those moments of sincerity, courage, and mutual illumination are equally worth recording.
Where life draws to a close, the warm echoes never fade.
[ On March 3, a friend posted the Little Doctor’s final Xiaohongshu update for him ]
This article is dedicated to the remarkable Panda Group members who once fought alongside us.
To protect patient privacy, names used in this article are pseudonyms. Images featuring the patient’s portrait have been authorized by the patient and may not be used without permission.