Studies help win cancer fight

Mao Yanjiao plans to return to the Caerleon campus for her PhD

A student who used her studies to fight her second battle with cancer has been given a special achievement award.

Mao Yanjiao, 33, from China, was studying for an MBA at University College Wales, Newport, when she discovered that the disease had returned.

So she decided that along with medical treatment, she would devise her own therapy which included challenging her mind via her studies.

To mark her achievement in graduating from the course despite her illness, the university has honoured her.

"I was mentally and physically very weak, but I was not ready to die," she said.

Yanjiao's story is an inspirational one Lecturer Katherine Ringwald

"I still wanted to fight, so I developed my own therapy, my own resistance to the disease.

"I loved studying for my MBA.

'Stay positive'

"It was part of what I call mind therapy, which involved singing, dancing, swimming and playing table tennis in order to defeat the cancer and stay positive," she said.

She has since written a book about her experiences called Dancing with Cancer, which has been published in China.

"I want people to know from my story that you can overcome cancer. Don't be afraid. Be positive. You can win," she added.

Her positive attitude and achievement at the university inspired her lecturers.

Senior lecturer Katherine Ringwald said: "Yanjiao's story is an inspirational one.

"When her cancer returned it was much worse than before, and her doctors thought her approach was very unconventional.

"But they encouraged her to maintain her positive outlook and enjoy what time she had.

"Against the doctors' expectations, she made a full recovery, and last year she was given the final all clear by the medical experts," she added.