Hong Kong Cancer Fund's Sally and Robert Lo take on 'the Big C'

Sally Lo has lived with cancer for nearly 30 years.

She has not been afflicted by "the big C" herself but, as founder of the Hong Kong Cancer Fund, she has been surrounded by the disease through her work and, recently, it struck closer to home, when her husband of more than 40 years, Robert Lo Kai-leung, had to wage his own battle.

"I have lost a lot of friends over the years," Sally says. "You become close to people and then lose them, which is, of course, very difficult. But, sharing the last chapter of someone's life is an enormous privilege. And being able to make a difference to someone is so rewarding."

In the mid-1980s, one of Sally's best friends, a young mother of three, died of stomach cancer. At the time "the C word" was taboo in Hong Kong and there was no information or support available. The experience spurred Sally to action and, in the 28 years since she started the organisation, which provides all its services for free, Sally has devoted the best part of her life to helping others overcome and live with cancer.

I meet the Los at the Cancer Fund's CancerLink Centre, in Central. The muted-beige colour scheme, cosy armchairs, library and peaceful side rooms have the feeling of a relaxed cafe or hotel lobby. Clinical it is not.

Dressed comfortably in cashmere and corduroy, the couple exude warmth. Silver-haired, yet seeming remarkably young for their years, they wear the mantle of a life spent dealing with deadly diseases lightly. Robert, the fund's co-chairman, is calm, affable and avuncular. Sally's light-hearted sparkle belies the steely determination and focus that has been necessary to build the group into what it is today.