A woman in China has drawn widespread attention after a video showed her working as a food delivery rider while carrying her four-year-old daughter who is undergoing cancer treatment in a courier box. The case, reported by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), has sparked concern about poverty and access to healthcare support.
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The woman, known as Zhu, was filmed by an online influencer in Anhui province. She works for the food delivery company Meituan. Her daughter, Nuoxi, has a tumour and has undergone multiple treatments, including three operations, nine sessions of chemotherapy, and 12 rounds of radiotherapy.
“I didn’t want to leave her alone at home,” Zhu told SCMP. “So I take her with me in the box while I work.”
Zhu, 25, said she delivers food on an electric bike in the heat, and sometimes has to carry her daughter in one hand while climbing stairs with food in the other.
Nuoxi’s father, surnamed Guan, also works full time as a delivery rider and cannot care for their daughter during the day. “We’re doing this to afford her treatment,” Zhu said.
The video shows the girl with a chemo port on her chest and a vein-access needle in her hand. Zhu said she feeds her daughter between deliveries. “She even helps me by pressing the lift buttons,” she said.
Mother in China puts sick child in delivery box while working
She worried about customer complaints if she took too long, but said every moment with her child was worth it. pic.twitter.com/B2W91SH9xu
— MustShareNews (@MustShareNews) August 1, 2025
Zhu said the pressure of work and caring for a sick child can be overwhelming. “I worry about being late and getting complaints,” she said. “But when she smiles or helps me press a button, it feels worth it.”
The SCMP reported that after the video was shared widely online, many people donated money to the family. The local government also stepped in to help them apply for allowances. Meituan provided financial aid as well.
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Some online users raised concerns about the child’s health, especially being outside in high temperatures. Guan told SCMP he now plans to work longer hours so Zhu can stay home with their daughter.
One social media user wrote: “We shouldn’t wait for people to post videos before offering help. The system should be there before the crisis.”
Food delivery work is popular among China’s migrant workers. The country has around 545 million users of food delivery services, with an estimated 3.3 billion yuan (US$460 million) spent daily.
Many riders work 14 to 15 hours a day. Meituan has introduced a feature that requires workers to rest after 12 hours, but some say it cuts into their income. “If I’m forced to stop, I’ll just switch to another platform,” one rider told SCMP.
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The family’s situation has sparked wider online discussions about poverty, healthcare costs, and working conditions in China’s gig economy.
