Operation Santa Claus: Hong Kong cancer patient gains from meditation, yoga

Chan Wai-yue gets out of bed first thing every morning, walks over to the living room and sits down on a little mat by the sofa. She turns her attention to her breath, and tries to keep still despite the jabbing pains going up and down her arm.

Chan, 62, was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 years ago, undergoing one operation and a series of chemotherapy and radiology sessions that left her with painful nerve damage across the right side of her body.

"I felt helpless when I was told about my diagnosis," she said. "The kids had finally grown up and I had been looking forward to starting to enjoy life."

She went into remission after 25 sessions of chemotherapy, eight of radiotherapy and a course of hormone pills. She then began to experience searing discomfort in her arm.

"I get all kinds of pain all the time," she said. "Sometimes it feels like needles pricking my skin, sometimes it's like bee stings or someone twisting and pulling my arms," she said.

The ambassadors will first undergo a round of 16 training lessons led by professional artists, medical staff, and social workers to become equipped with the artistic knowledge and communication skills needed for the visits.

A friend and fellow cancer survivor suggested she visit Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre in Tuen Mun. It is based in a small house surrounded by ponds and a pristine garden and offers soothing holistic treatment for the hardships patients endure.