Sally Lo
The founder of the Hong Kong Cancer Fund, Sally Lo has been working for the community at large for over two decades, providing care and support for cancer patients in Hong Kong. She talks to Andrea Lo about her work for the fund, her experiences, as well as her vision.
I grew up in London. I came to Hong Kong [following] a mixed marriage.
As a child I wanted to be an opera singer. If you told me I was going to be married to a Chinese man and doing what I am doing today in Hong Kong, I would have said you might as well say I am going to fly to the moon. But how lucky was I that I had the opportunity to come to Hong Kong and make a life here.
It was a sad story. My girlfriend Nicky was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1986, at the age of 29, and she had three young children. She was given a few months to live. It was very sudden, and extremely distressing.
At that time there was no support, or information [on cancer]. I learned so much from her, through what she faced every day. When she died, I was determined to change the situation in Hong Kong.
We started the Cancer Fund in 1987. Our vision was to bring better quality cancer care and support to ensure no one faces cancer alone.
We began by offering free information and support to anyone touched by cancer, and then we expanded very quickly. It was quite spooky in a way—that I was asked to start a support group; I was also asked by Chinese University if I would help them with a cancer conference.