Bai Yunxiu, a retired worker from the Hengyang Metal Non-ferrous Machinery Plant in Hunan Province.
Originally, Bai Yunxiu was in good health, except that she felt a slight fever and could not sleep with her feet covered. In the summer of 1995, when Falun Gong began to be practiced by people, Bai Yunxiu joined in the practice together with her husband.
Totally won over by Falun Gong, Bai Yuxiu stopped taking medicine. After a period of time, some Falun Gong followers asked her whether she was taking any medicine, and when she replied "No", they raised their thumbs to praise her.
The praise further strengthened her resolution not to take medicine. She did not go to hospital even when she became ill.
In July 1998, Bai Yuxiu had a high fever and her face was a fiery red. When her daughter begged her to go to hospital, she adamantly refused. "I am quite well," she shouted at her daughter. "Why should I go to hospital? With my master to protect me, I will not get any disease!" And she persisted in practicing Falun Gong.
A month later, Bai Yunxiu's fever went down. She was overjoyed: "I have sloughed off the crust of a mortal body!" She read Li Hongzhi's book Turning the Wheel of Law many times everyday. In fact her illness was steadily worsening.
Two months later she could hardly move her legs and go to the Falun Gong practice site. Then she still kept practicing Falun Gong and meditating at home. Each morning she would burn incense in front of Li Hongzhi's portrait and show her devotion to her teacher, begging him to help her "go beyond mortals" so that she could ascend to Heaven after death.
On 10 December, 1998, Bai Yunxiu felt that she could not hold on any longer. Despite this, she sat there reading Li Hongzhi's "sutras". When she was too weak to read on, she asked her husband to continue until she collapsed on the sofa. Her last words were: "I'll devote everything I have to Falun Gong."
