Hong Kong woman opens up about life after moment her heart stopped beating
Olivia Cheung, who was 19 when her heart stopped beating for 63 minutes, shares experiences to educate public about intensive care treatments
More than a decade ago, Hongkonger Olivia Cheung Lok-man’s heart stopped beating for 63 minutes.
She was a 19-year-old student at the time and had suffered a fulminant myocarditis attack, a rare and severe illness that can cause heart failure.
Cheung, now a 30-year-old art teacher, has since developed the ability to cope with the uncertainties surrounding her condition, thanks to the special care of the medical team at Queen Mary Hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU).
“I have experienced [near death], I don’t think there’s anything [my family and I] can’t deal with,” she said.
Cheung and her doctor spoke to the media on Monday as part of the hospital’s work with the Shaw Foundation to offer in-person and online activities to educate the public about intensive care treatments and patients’ experiences.
Last year, lawmakers passed a legislative amendment that allows terminally ill patients to reject certain treatments, such as undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), as the end of their life nears.