More tragedy befalls family: Yu Tian suffers stroke as 38-year-old singer daughter's cancer spreads throughout body

Veteran Taiwanese crooner Yu Tian was admitted to hospital on Tuesday (July 26) after suffering a stroke, while his daughter's cancer prognosis appears to be bleak.

His son Ken shared with reporters on Tuesday that he'd received a call from the 74-year-old former legislator who complained he was not able to move the right side of his body. Ken noted that his father's speech was also muffled.

Sharing that Yu Tian is not one to show his weakness in front of others, Ken knew that the situation must have been serious for him to make the call for help. Ken immediately rushed over and brought Yu Tian to the hospital.

Doctors confirmed that Yu Tian — a household name in the Taiwanese entertainment industry known for his 1977 Mandarin classic Under the Banyan Tree — had suffered a mild stroke and would need to undergo further tests and observation over the next seven days. They added that it was a good thing he received medical attention early.

As to the cause of the stroke, Ken surmised that it could be due to the worry over his sister Yuan-chi's condition, which has taken a turn for the worse.

Yuan-chi, 38, has been battling colorectal cancer for the past eight years. According to Chinese news media, she suffered three relapses over the years and has undergone close to 70 rounds of chemotherapy treatment. 

Ken shared that the cancer cells have now spread to other parts of her body, rendering chemotherapy useless. 

Yu Tian's wife, fellow veteran singer Li Ya-ping, broke down on Tuesday while updating reporters about the conditions of both her husband and daughter.

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Ya-ping shared that Yuan-chi is now at a critical stage, as doctors have told her nothing else can be done. Blood transfusions have failed to address her low blood cell count and she is also suffering from malnutrition.

Speaking through tears, Ya-ping revealed that due to the pain, her daughter is now unable to stand and relies on morphine and painkillers in order to sleep.

"Her thigh and calves are about as thick as our arms now, it really breaks my heart," she added of Yuan-chi, who is married with two young children aged two and four.

In a message posted to his Facebook page on Tuesday, Yu Tian confirmed reports of his hospitalisation but indicated that it was "nothing serious".

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He admitted that he had been worried about his daughter's condition and that the recent hot weather could also have contributed to his health scare

candicecai@asiaone.com