kevin sinclair's hong kong

Leung Chik-yee went home from hospital last month with his mother and father. Three weeks later, the eight-year-old boy with the brain tumour was dead. Everything had gone as planned. The last few weeks of his short and painful life had been spent at home, cared for by loving parents, grandparents and his two sisters.

As predicted by doctors and staff of the Children's Cancer Foundation, Chik-yee lapsed into a final coma. Mr Leung (not his real name) called a special number at Fire Services headquarters and an ambulance arrived quietly.

Mr Leung tried to hold back his tears as he gave the ambulance man a special DNR (do not resuscitate) form; this is official notification telling care workers not to try to keep the frail body alive but merely to take the child to hospital.

Mr and Mrs Leung accompanied their son. They sat by his bedside as he died.

It's a sad story. But it's also one of victory for the gravely ill and their families, and a triumph for the Children's Cancer Foundation.

Getting terminally ill children out of hospital to spend their last days in a warm and loving home environment was not an easy task, says Molin Lin Kwok-yin, the nurse in charge of the foundation's Palliative and Home Care Service.