• Lupus is not fatal if treated properly. Sha’s health issues stemmed from her lifestyle: she refused to take hormone drugs because they would affect her looks and made risky choices, like sunbathing. Her case delivers a very skewed message to both patients and the public’s understanding of this disease.
• Can we live purely for ourselves, ignoring our responsibility to family and society? Sha’s father, who has Alzheimer’s, begged her to live, yet she rejected him. Her ‘free spirit’ devastated those who deeply loved her.
• Sha used her life choice to challenge social norms and people’s beliefs. She defied matrimony, filial peity, proper medical treatment and, ultimately, the value of life itself. Her defiance was shocking, but I can’t sympathize with her. Source: Zhihu
Wei Zhou, media critic: Even many liberals opposed Sha’s decision, citing collectivist concerns – that her suicide would negatively impact society and criticized her for defying social conventions. But the core question remains: does an individual have the right to willingly end their own life? Source: WeChat
Li Sipan, media critic and feminist: Sha internalized social Darwinist ideals, including rigid beauty standards. Her views on illness were almost fascist – she even blamed her mother for passing on the lupus gene. Her story doesn’t offer a deeper understanding of life’s meaning. Source: Weibo
Peng Xiaohua, terminal care scholar: While I support the right to euthanasia, I take a more solemn view of life. I don’t appreciate Sha Bai’s attitude toward life and death, or her values. Her choice was highly individulistic, even priviledged, something only accessible to the wealthy. [...] However, this case has a positive side: it forces open a taboo discussion about death in Chinese culture. Souce: WeChat
A Shanghai woman’s decision to undergo euthanasia in Switzerland ignited heated debates about the right to choose how we die. On October 23, 43-year-old Sha Bai, who had battled lupus for over 20 years, posted a farewell video on WeChat announcing her plans for assisted dying. The next day, she shared a final video with her 78-year-old father, who accompanied her to Switzerland. On October 25, her profile photo on WeChat turned black and white, marking her passing.
Sha, born into a well-off family in Shanghai, was diagnosed with lupus at 20. Over two decades, she faced seven flare-ups but refused hormone treatments, fearing weight gain. Her health deteriorated rapidly this year, with severe symptoms including kidney failure. In her final message, Sha said she had a “wonderful life.” A polyglot, Sha was a successful TOEFL instructor and enjoyed boxing, dancing, piano and travel, visiting over 40 countries. She spent over 700,000 yuan (US$97,500) for the procedure in Switzerland.
Sha’s decision has sparked intense online discussions on disease, death and individual liberty. Many expressed understanding, arguing that people have the right to choose how they live and how they die. Some praised her defiance of social conventions, while others blamed her deteriorating health on her refusal of effective treatments and criticized her for leaving her elderly parents grieving and alone. Many worried her romanticized view of assisted dying could encourage others to follow her example.
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