A woman in China who is divorcing her husband after he refused to sell their home to pay for life-saving treatment for their critically ill 22-year-old son has gone viral on mainland social media.

The unidentified woman, from Fujian province in southeastern China, has been trying to raise nearly 1mil yuan (US$144,000) to pay for an operation needed by her son, who has the rare blood disease aplastic anaemia. Unable to find the money, she wanted to sell her home, which she co-owns with her husband, but he refused, Star Video reported.

The woman said that her son, Xiaolin, was diagnosed with the disease in 2017, and his health has deteriorated since May last year. His medical expenses are 8,000 yuan (US$1,100) a month, and she has been working two jobs to raise money but only receives a combined salary of 10,000 yuan (US$1,400).

However, she has since had to quit her two jobs to look after her critically ill son full-time.

“The doctor says that the disease will cost my life,” Xiaolin told Star Video.

“We need at least 700,000 yuan (US$101,000) for the first surgical treatment,” his mother said.

Without the income from her jobs, she wanted to sell the family’s home. When she discussed it with her husband, he refused.

“He is going to die in half a year anyway, so there is no need to get treatment,” the husband reportedly told his shocked wife.

Eventually, her husband said he might agree to sell their home, however, he demanded more than half of the estimated 1.8mil yuan (US$260,000) from the property sale.

“If you sold the property, I deserve to get more than half of the money (for myself),” he reportedly said.

In addition, his wife said he refused to contribute any of his share towards his son’s medical care, only saying he might provide support if the medical expense went over the 1.2mil-yuan share of the property he later proposed to give his wife.

“If I still had money, I would give a little,” the husband told his wife.

She then decided to get a divorce.

The story has divided opinion on mainland social media.

One person said: “The father is a selfish, heartless creature.”

However, another person said: “There is nothing right or wrong about his decision. He just loves himself the most.

 - SCMP