Mao Yanxia was born on September 25, 1953 and used to live in the Ganghua 119 Community of Qingshan District in the city of Wuhan. Mao had only received primary school education. She started to practice Falun Gong in 1994 and gradually became obsessed with it. On July 28, 2004, Mao died of lung cancer at the age of 51.
In the summer of 1994, several old neighbors who were practicing Falun Gong then puffed it before Mao and took great pains in preaching up Falun Gong not only being able to cure disease and improve health but also teaching followers to be good people, to get elevated and to reach Consummation. In a word they lauded Falun Gong as something miraculous. Mao had always been in poor health, suffering from hemoptysis, low fever and chest pains from time to time, whereas she was worrying about being unable to afford medical treatment. On hearing all the lauds on Falun Gong, Mao joined the ranks of Falun Gong practitioners with the expectation of improving her health.
Mao was among the first Falun Gong practitioners in Wuhan and she spent much time studying the Fa with some other key members of Falun Gong General Assistance Center in Wuhan. Ever since Mao Yanxia began practicing, she buried herself in a heap of books about Falun Gong including Zhuan Falun, devoted herself heart and soul to her practicing, and thus failed to take good care of her family. Due to her total commitment to "further advancement", Mao's fellow practitioners all agreed that she obtained the Fa earlier and had cultivated into a higher level than others. As a result, in early 1995, Mao Yanxia was appointed the group leader of Falun Gong practitioners in her community. After that she was addicted to popularizing Falun Gong and recruiting new practitioners, and even once met Li Hongzhi and discussed views and experiences on cultivation with him during the Master's visit to Wuhan.
In July 1997, Falun Gong was banned by the Government, but Mao Yanxia refused to give up practicing. The family tried to dissuade her one by one, but Mao looked upon what they did as encumbrances to her practicing Dafa, going up to heavenly paradise and reaching Consummation. She turned a deaf ear to what they said, and even threatened to renounce anybody who tried further lobbying. Consequently Mao Yanxia estranged herself from her husband and other relatives.
Mao Yanxia, a once out-going, virtuous and warm-hearted woman, became increasingly indifferent and stubborn. Her pulmonary disease deteriorated to a critical condition, but she told people that's because she hadn't made enough progress in practicing, her level was still low and she had too much karma.
In mid September 2003, Mao Yanxia frequently experienced severe symptoms such as hoarse voice and facial oedema. Her husband was irritated and worried, but still cooked meals and soup for her and persuaded her to go to hospital for treatment time and again which was turned down flatly by her.
In the morning on March 24, 2004, Mao Yanxia, who was critically ill, told her husband and other family members that she was determined to remove her karma and to achieve Consummation. Then she began practicing Falun Gong and sitting in meditation like mad. As soon as she got up each morning, she recited Zhuan Falun and refused to take any food or drink any water. This insane action directly made her poor health even worse and her husband and relatives had no choice but sent her to the regional hospital for medical treatment by force, as she was too weak to say no. After diagnosis, the doctor informed her family with great pity:" Lung cancer, advanced stage."
On July 28, 2004, at the age of 51, Mao Yanxia died of lung cancer for medical neglect precisely because she followed Falun Gong heresies and refused to go to hospital.
Mao Yanxia
