Family Throws Their 17-Year-Old Daughter Dying of Cancer One Last Goodbye Through Genshin Impact
At just 17, Bonny’s final days became a celebration of imagination and love. With help from her family, doctor, Guicong Studio, and a global community, her OC Olivia came to life in a moving farewell that touched millions online.
Image Via Sixth Tone
6,205 days on Earth seems like a blip in the universe – yet even that was enough for Bonny to leave behind a story that moved an entire fandom.
This heartfelt tribute has made waves on the internet and has made Bonny's story reach an even greater audience—where her happiness and memories can be re-watched again and again. This farewell isn’t a story or fictional, it’s real and deserves to be treated with respect, so let’s get into the life lessons shared and get more insight on who Bonny was.
Who Was Bonny?
At just 17, Bonny was facing the final stages of terminal cancer. At such a time, she moved her energy towards another direction, Olivia- her OC, a character of her own creation, with cat-ear hairpins who would keep moving forward when she no longer could. Olivia became a reflection of her own strength and willpower.
With time running low, her family reached out for help to give Bonny the farewell she deserved, and with support from her doctor- Lu Guijun, and the creative minds at Beijing-based Guicong Studio, that dream was set into motion.
Her Unending Journey
Bonny’s farewell was unlike any other. The stark white ceiling of her hospital room transformed into a sky full of stars. Olivia appeared on-screen – animated to smile, blink, and exist just as Bonny had imagined her. Letters from classmates were read aloud. Cosplayers quietly stepped inside, dressed as characters from her favorite game: Genshin Impact. Her solace might have been fictional but there’s no reason why it can’t be in reality, after all, her happiness was real.
One cosplayer, playing Diluc, took her hand gently and whispered: "Let’s travel together to the next world."
How It Was Orchestrated
Her mother, Carrie Xin, had asked for something peaceful – no mourning clothes, no silence, no sorrow. Just joy, just color, just something that still felt like her daughter’s world, which is exactly what she got: a moment of magic and warmth from a place close to her heart.
Guicong Studio, though they had never met Bonny before, rallied with urgency. What normally would take a month had to happen in just three days. They turned to Xiaohongshu, a popular platform among Chinese youth, and posted a heartfelt call for help. The internet responded instantly. An artist used AI to animate Olivia. Cosplayers volunteered, sending videos and even showing up in person.
Even Bonny’s treatment was adjusted to make sure she’d be as comfortable as possible during her final send-off. Before it began, her doctor asked her classmates not to speak of strength or bravery– but instead to simply tell her what she meant to them.
When Olivia crossed the bridge in that final scene, it wasn’t just animation—it was a farewell, a celebration, and a way to keep Bonny’s story alive in the world she loved most.
Her mother called it the happiest day of Bonny’s life. And maybe, in the end, that’s what we all wish for: to be remembered not for how we left, but for the worlds we helped build—both real and imagined
Written by: Sarah Dar (Writing Intern, India Today Gaming)
