A woman in China, suffering from severe scoliosis, has gone viral after accusations that she is “making money by doing nothing” surfaced.

This scrutiny followed the revelation that her boyfriend, Yan Ruize, worked gruelling food-delivery shifts to fund her much-needed surgery.

He Ling, 23, hails from southwest China’s Sichuan province and was diagnosed with congenital scoliosis – a sideways curvature of the spine – at five years old. Now, at just 1.35 metres tall and weighing 31.5kg, she requires surgery estimated to cost around 300,000 yuan (US$45,000).

After completing secondary school, He worked in a mobile phone parts factory, where she met Yan in 2021. Subsequently, she trained as a manicurist and began running a stall at a night market.

When the factory where Yan was employed shut down, the couple initially depended on He’s income. In 2024, Yan became a food delivery rider, often working up to 14 hours a day to gather funds for her operation.

Recently, a social media creator filmed their story, which went viral, garnering over 18 million views and significant public support. As reported by Fengmian News, online fundraising efforts approached 100,000 yuan, bringing He closer to her surgery goals.