‘Surrounded by loved ones’: Hong Kong cancer patient who donated HK$800,000 to help young sufferers has died, family says
- Cancer patient Gabriel Yeung died ‘peacefully’ in late March surrounded by his loved ones, family reveals
- ‘What I desire most is for this world to be free of cancer and other illnesses,’ Yeung wrote on Instagram
“Thank you for your love and encouragement for Gabriel [Yeung Ka-piu],” the family said in a post on his personal Instagram account on Thursday.
“Gabriel passed away peacefully in late March, before Easter, surrounded by his loved ones.
“The farewell ceremony has also concluded. Wishing you all peace and happiness.”
The family added they would not respond to messages or media inquiries.
Yeung’s posts on Facebook and Instagram have been flooded with messages of thanks and condolences.
Yeung, who had battled stomach and liver cancer since 2022, became a media celebrity after he donated the cash to the Children’s Cancer Foundation Hong Kong last October because they “deserve a happy childhood”.
He said in a social media post last October that chemotherapy had been the most painful part of his treatment and that it had deprived him of “basic dignity as a human being, as well as the ability to speak”.
The University of Hong Kong graduate said he believed youngsters who were fighting cancer deserved a happy childhood just like others and added his decision to give away the money was made a long time ago.
Yeung also told children fighting the disease to always believe in their ability to recover.
He shared updates on his life on Instagram over the past few months, including how he composed new songs and learned to draw on an iPad.
Yeung said in one of his last posts that his condition had worsened since the end of January and that he had started to feel discomfort – but still tried to look on the bright side.
“In the face of pain, it is impossible to force yourself to be happy all the time,” he wrote. “You can only try your best not to focus on and magnify the pain, try to enjoy the pain, eat more when you have a better appetite.
“Enjoy the time when you are not feeling sick.”
