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Operation Santa Claus
Hong KongSociety

Paralysed woman who can only type with thumb and index finger says Hong Kong charity Operation Santa Claus has given her hope

Annual Christmas charity campaign marks its 30th anniversary on Monday

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Josy Chow started receiving support from Operation Santa Claus at the age of eight. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Eddie Lee

Hong Kong people’s willingness to help has given disadvantaged groups hope and motivated them to hang in there, a 23-year-old woman born with a rare disease that left her almost completely paralysed, has said.

Josy Chow Pui-shan, diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), is thankful that she has received so much support from society.

She is a member of the Families of SMA Charitable Trust (FSMA) and uses its services funded by Operation Santa Claus – a donation drive jointly organised by the South China Morning Post and RTHK. The annual charity campaign marks its 30th anniversary on Monday.

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“Operation Santa Claus helps patients and those in need so that they can have a better life and worry less,” Chow said, citing her own experience.

The 23-year-old started receiving support from Operation Santa Claus at the age of eight.

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“I had been staying in hospital since I was born. I wanted to go home. But it was difficult to arrange hospital transport and the service was expensive,” she said.

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