Cancer diagnosis prompts woman to spend savings on Antarctica trip. Then, a surprise

After a thyroid cancer diagnosis, Wang Ying spent her savings on an Antarctica trip to photograph penguins.

In Short

• 67-year-old fulfilled her dream of photographing penguins in Antarctica
• Diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2013, she avoided surgery initially
• Antarctic trip cost 150,000 yuan, partly funded by her mother

A 67-year-old woman from China who used her life savings to fulfil her dream of photographing penguins in Antarctica received a surprising update about her health after returning from the month-long expedition. Her thyroid tumour had reduced in size, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.

Wang Ying, an amateur wildlife photographer from Kunming, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2013, just as she was preparing to retire from her job as a school administrator. Doctors recommended immediate surgery, but Wang was reluctant to undergo the procedure.

The diagnosis left her contemplating how she wanted to spend her remaining time. “If I were to die, I wished to die somewhere far away. I absolutely did not want to have surgery,” she said.

Instead, Wang decided to pursue a long-held ambition: travelling to Antarctica to photograph penguins. She had spent decades documenting birds and had photographed more than 1,200 species.

The expedition came with a hefty price tag of 150,000 yuan for a month. Since her savings fell short of the amount, her mother helped finance the journey.

Once in Antarctica, Wang was determined to capture a particular scene - a mother penguin feeding her chick. She braved temperatures of minus 10 degrees Celsius, powerful winds and heavy snowfall, remaining outdoors long after other visitors had left.

Her patience eventually paid off when she photographed a mother penguin returning from the sea after fishing and feeding her young.

After the trip, she returned to the hospital for a follow-up examination. The results showed that her tumour had become smaller compared with the previous scan taken about a month earlier. Her doctors decided that surgery could be deferred for the time being, while emphasising the need for continued medical monitoring.

The experience gave Wang renewed optimism and strengthened her desire to keep living, according to the Shanghai Morning Post.

Since then, wildlife photography has become a central part of her life. She has travelled to more than 30 countries and spent her entire pension on high-end photography equipment to pursue her passion.

Wang is also planning further trips to the United States, Peru and several African countries over this year and next.

- Ends