75-year-old Chinese grandfather becomes a beauty creator to save his grandson

New Delhi: In an example of how creator platforms are increasingly becoming a source of livelihood, a 75-year-old man in China has turned a beauty creator to help fund treatment for his grandson's rare disease. Zhu Yunchang, from China's Jiangsu province, began livestreaming beauty products after traditional avenues of raising money proved insufficient to cover the high cost of treatment for his nine-year-old grandson, Cao Jingyan, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic disorder, as an infant. What started as a fundraising effort has evolved into an unlikely creator journey. Zhu spends his days caring for Jingyan and his evenings hosting livestreams, often continuing late into the night. His content includes trying on makeup, testing lipsticks, and comparing shades for viewers, mirroring the format commonly adopted by beauty creators across livestream commerce platforms. According to reports, brands were reluctant to work with an elderly creator in his seventies, prompting Zhu to build an audience independently using products purchased by his daughter. Over time, his authenticity and purpose-driven content resonated with viewers. The family's medical expenses had previously forced them to sell property and borrow money to support treatment. While China's decision to include SMA medication under medical insurance in 2021 reduced costs significantly, treatment remains expensive.