China romance novelist, 29, dies after 3-year battle with rare disease, bids farewell with last words ‘eat healthy meals, sleep well’

A famous romance novelist in China has died at the age of 29 after a three-year battle with a rare disease called syringomyelia.

Xia Shu was widely known for her intricate portrayal of earnest emotions between men and women and penned several novels, the most renowned of which were I Won’t Love You and The Lenz’s Law.

The first symptoms of Xia’s illness presented as a high fever for several days that she initially dismissed as a common cold. Two years later, she would receive the syringomyelia diagnosis.

Headaches and body pain, coupled with sensory loss typically accompany the neurological disorder. There is no known cure and patients simply have to manage the disease.

Xia chose to document her ordeal with syringomyelia on Weibo.