Audrey Eu diagnosed with tumour
Civic Party leader Audrey Eu Yuet-mee has been diagnosed as having a small blood vessel tumour in her brain.
While doctors said it was potentially fatal if the tumour burst, they did not advise her to undergo surgery.
Ms Eu, who will turn 54 this month, described her illness as a 'little time bomb', but said it would not affect her public duties.
She added that she saw no reason to ease her party workload.
The popular legislator disclosed her symptoms in her regular column in the Chinese-language Ming Pao Daily News yesterday.
Ms Eu said she had suffered periodic headaches during her childhood.
But she had recently suffered an unusually sudden attack that caused the blood vessels around her head to pump more quickly.
Her husband, who is a neurosurgeon, insisted on her undergoing a detailed examination.
'MRI checks showed that there is a 3mm tumour in the vessel of the brain,' she wrote in the column.
At a forum organised by the SaveRTHK campaign, Ms Eu said she had been advised that the location of the tumour had made surgery difficult. Instead, Ms Eu has been advised to undergo regular checks to monitor the situation.
Asked if she would give up her campaign for re-election next year, she said her illness would not affect her public duties.
'A little time bomb in the brain is not a bad thing,' Ms Eu said.
'It serves as a reminder how fragile life can be,' she added.
Apart from taking care of her health, the legislator said she would adopt a more relaxed approach and take time to enjoy life.
Formerly the Hong Kong Bar Association chairwoman, Ms Eu turned to politics and won a Legco by-election seat on Hong Kong Island in 2000.
She has been the leader of the Civic Party since its foundation in March last year.
