Lupus is sometimes referred to as a “non-lethal cancer.” Recently, a woman from China, overwhelmed by the physical and emotional toll of the disease, traveled to Switzerland to seek assisted suicide, sparking widespread discussion online.
The 43-year-old Shanghai woman had been diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus at age 20. After a series of flare-ups, she suffered from kidney failure and was having to undergo dialysis three times a week. The case of the woman—known as “Shabai” but later identified on the LinkedIn social media platform as Elizabeth Zheng, a Shanghai professional with an MBA—sparked an online debate in China. In a goodbye video uploaded on Oct. 23, the woman stated her wish not to be a burden to her 80-year-old father and her plans to die by euthanasia in Switzerland on the following day.
