Xinyu is currently a Doctoral Researcher from the School of Design and Creative Arts at Loughborough University, she is interested in art therapy, touch-based art, death education, and the current situation of late-stage cancer patients and their families in China. Her doctoral thesis investigates possible material-oriented interactive storytelling approaches to aid the preparation, create an interactive storytelling experience to introduce principles of death education in a Chinese context - intervention and support for grieving Chinese family members of advanced cancer patients. In addition to her academic pursuits, Xinyu is also a freelance illustrator.
Title of thesis: Exploring the emotional needs of families of Chinese patients with advanced cancer through interactive storytelling.
Death education remains scarce and taboo in China, leading to challenges in hospice care promotion and acceptance of alternative end-of-life options. This paper introduces an interactive storytelling intervention for family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients in China to teach principles of death education. The thesis explores material-oriented interactive storytelling approaches, taking into account Chinese culture and social environment, to create a culturally relevant death education experience. This intervention aims to help families make more rational decisions, such as accepting hospice care and body donation, while providing support for grieving family members.
Supervisors: Simon Downs and Andrew Selby.