Comics artist battles tumor one drawing at a time

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Ding Yi, 32, was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor on his liver three years ago. But his medical condition hasn't stopped him from using his sense of humor to ease his fears and the fears of people around him about the diagnosis.

He turned his optimistic approach into a comic to encourage other patients, which became a hit online and has inspired many people.

Following his diagnosis, Ding began treatment, which involved swallowing dozens of pills a day, undergoing endless medical examinations and losing weight due to chemotherapy. Doctors said his tumor has a low chance of becoming cancerous.

Until early 2016, Ding read "Go Away, Mr. Tumor" – a comic series on the internet. "I was so touched by the cartoon that I wanted to record my own experience," he said. Ding decided to record his experience battling the tumor by drawing a comic of his own. His story soon went viral online, encouraging many people who read it.

Ding's comic book. /Nanfang Daily Photo

Drawing a cartoon each day was no easy task for Ding. When his physical condition worsened, he had to stop for a few days to recover his strength, but he would eventually finish what he started.

After his comic "Ding and Mr. Tumor" was posted online, he garnered a fan base as more and more people watched and shared his story. The comic has now been serialized to the 64th chapter, and last year, a company published it.

"There are a lot of netizens and friends who are communicating with me online, and encouraged me to keep going," Deng said. "And I hope my comic can help more people reduce pessimism."

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