At the time, Chen Chiu was in the US with their children, working for a year as a visiting scholar. Initially, Chiu thought of concealing his illness from his wife, afraid it would affect her itinerary. However, on learning of his leukemia, she immediately returned to Taiwan to take care of him and be with him as he began chemotherapy.
當時陳麗瑛帶著孩子在美國擔任為期一年的訪問學者，原本邱錦祥還想瞞著妻子，深恐影響她的訪問行程，但陳麗瑛知道後立即兼程趕回照料，陪伴他展開化學療程。