“I’m only asking for help because I have no other way out,” she wrote. “I still want to live a proper life. I still want to contribute to society and will use all my strength to fight my illness.”

Her story was reported by national news outlets in October and then widely circulated on social media. Ms. Wu said after that in a video interview that she had received 100 calls and messages.

Speaking in a soft voice from a hospital bed and wearing fuzzy blue pajamas, she thanked her donors, saying that the support made her feel less alone.

“I feel as though I can suddenly see the sun again after being abandoned in the dark night,” she said. “I don’t know your name, where you are and what lives you are living, and I haven’t appeared in your lives before — but I want to thank you for your sacrifices for an ordinary stranger like me.”

A few charities also helped to raise money, including the China Charities Aid Foundation for Children, a private organization that is overseen by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

The charity started a crowdfunding campaign that raised nearly $30,000 for Ms. Wu. It said it wired about $3,000 of that amount to her hospital in November. Under pressure to account for the rest of the money, the foundation said in statements that swelling in her organs had prevented Ms. Wu from undergoing surgery, and that Ms. Wu’s family had requested that the money be used for the operation and her recovery.

The foundation acknowledged the public criticism of how it handled the donations and said it was investigating the matter. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.