In an unrelated family, the father died suddenly of a sudden illness and the 65-year-old stepbreast cancer recurred. He had to buy medicines at his own expense to continue his life; his 23-year-old brother suffered from a rare embryonic cell carcinoma and needed to have half of his lung removed.
The two have a long way to treat and the medical expenses are huge.
At this critical juncture, a pair of stepdaughters living together did not abandon their unrelated stepmother and younger brother, but gritted their teeth and walked the extremely difficult road against cancer with their cancer-stricken family members.
The elder sister works outside to support the family, and the younger sister takes care of the household chores. The two sisters act as the strongest backing for the stepmother and younger brother.
However, even though the love that transcends blood can nourish the hearts of the four, the huge financial pressure is still overwhelming for the family, and there is an urgent need for people with a heart to lend a helping hand, so that the mother and child can receive appropriate treatment and rehabilitation.
After marrying into the Yu family in the early years, Zhima treated her five stepchildren as her own, and later gave birth to a son Vincent.
In addition to taking care of everyone's daily life, Zhima also works in restaurants to earn extra money to help make up for the family.
(Photo by Mak Kan Taki)
The Yu family's parents got married and gave birth to five children at an early age, but the biological mother died of cervical cancer at the age of 40. The single father earns money to support the family, and it is difficult to take care of the family.
A few years later, Yu's father married his stepmother Zou Huizhi (Zhi's mother) to reorganize the family.
Although they are not related to each other by blood, Zhi's mother regards the five children as her own, and the family has a deep relationship. Later, she also gave birth to a son Vincent.
In addition to taking care of the daily life of the six sisters and brothers, Zhima also worked hard to work part-time in a restaurant to help make up the family. The family of eight also lived happily in a public housing estate in Yau Tong.
After the six siblings grew up, the eldest daughter A Qing (pseudonym) resolutely transferred from the Department of Social Engineering to Acting with the support of her parents, and now she devotes herself to stage creation; the younger sister Ayi (pseudonym) is unmarried, and she manages the household chores and takes care of her family at home. ; Vincent, a son-in-law, enrolled in the Department of Physics at CityU, and is currently a fourth-year university student. The three continue to live in public housing in Yau Tong.
The other three have started a family or went abroad to dance.
Even if everyone is not rich or noble, they work hard at the grassroots level, and they live a happy life.
[Hong Kong 01 Zhongle Fund] Donate immediately to support Zhima Vincent's self-funded anticancer drugs
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Father dies suddenly, stepmother suffers from breast cancer
Unfortunately, good times don't last. In 2016, the Yu family ushered in bad news.
At that time, Mother Zhi was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had undergone 18 targeted drug treatments and 6 chemotherapy treatments before undergoing incision surgery. After that, she continued to do radiotherapy and take hormonal drugs.
She survived her first breast cancer treatment and her condition became stable. She thought her life was back on track, but unexpectedly, Yu's father suddenly vomited blood one day and died suddenly in just one week.
The heavy blow made Zhi Ma completely devastated, and it took a while to let go of her depression, and in her spare time, she went to the mountains for morning exercises to stretch her body and mind.
Breast cancer recurrence after five years, target drug costs tens of thousands of yuan per injection
Zhi Ma has been following up for five years, and her cancer index has remained at a normal level. By November last year, when the doctor was about to announce her "complete recovery", she felt dizzy and went to a checkup to relieve her doubts, but unfortunately it was confirmed that it was a recurrence of HER2 breast cancer. , the cancer cells more spread to the lungs, brain and neck bones.
Reluctantly, the doctor confirmed that Zhima was resistant to the dual-targeted drugs used in this treatment and failed to effectively fight off cancer cells, so she needed to switch to anti-HER2-targeted drugs.
However, the anti-HER2 target drug needs to be paid at its own expense, and the injection is every three weeks to prolong life, and the cost is close to 50,000 yuan each time.
[Hong Kong 01 Zhongle Fund] Donate immediately to support Zhima Vincent's self-funded anticancer drugs
Unfortunately, when the breast cancer recurred, Zhi's mother was trying to find a way to treat the disease, and the family received another bad news, and her son Vincent was also confirmed to be suffering from a rare germ cell cancer.
(Photo by Mak Kan Taki)
When I first discovered that I had a tumor, my mood was the most unstable, and I often lost my temper. I would wonder why I got cancer at such a young age, and I was also worried about the sequelae. Fortunately, I had my family to accompany and tolerate.
Brother Vincent with germ cell tumor
Brother's chemotherapy effect is low
When Zhima's breast cancer recurred, Ah Qing, who was working far away in Taiwan, heard the news and rushed back to Hong Kong to fight for Zhima's illness.
Unfortunately, misfortunes always follow. Vincent felt short of breath while running in March this year. At first, he thought it was just a burst of lungs. X-rays at the hospital revealed a huge dark shadow in the lungs. After raising money and arranging for him to undergo a number of private examinations, it was finally confirmed that a rare germ cell tumor 12 cm by 7 cm and the size of a fist was born near his chest cavity.
Vincent immediately received 4 injections of chemotherapy, but found that the sensitivity to the drug was low, and the tumor volume did not decrease but increased. After the diagnosis, the doctor decided to perform surgery to remove the tumor on the right side of the lung. Fortunately, the operation went well, and the upper lobe of the right side was enlarged. It can be saved, and it will be of great help for future restoration.
"A bolt from the blue, I'm so young, and cancer doesn't sound like I have anything to do with it." Vincent worked hard for many years, but when he was about to graduate from college, he was faced with a life-or-death crisis. He was greatly frustrated. It also made him feel very uncomfortable. "When I was just diagnosed, my lung function was only 30% to 40%. I had to raise my head to sleep to breathe smoothly, and I would wake up in the middle of the night with a cough."
[Hong Kong 01 Zhongle Fund] Donate immediately to support Zhima Vincent's self-funded anticancer drugs
And Zhima was still ill. The electrotherapy on the head caused hair loss, loss of taste, dry mouth, eye and ear inflammation, and black teeth. She even tried convulsions all over her body and became an emergency. Now, her ability to speak and walk is significantly weakened. .
Seeing that her son was also tormented by the disease, Zhi's mother was heartbroken. She patted her chest several times and cried and asked why she had suffered this disaster. "I'm so worried, I heard the same thing happened to my son."
Fortunately, the two sisters encouraged them many times, and Ah Ching also sought support from social welfare institutions and patients to learn from patients through different channels. The mother and son finally overcame their psychological anxiety.
Vincent is grateful that his mother is still doing his best to take care of his daily life, and his two sisters have been raising money for him to get treatment as soon as possible.
The appearance of her son's efforts to fight cancer has also become the driving force for Zhi's mother, and she also hopes to obtain medicine fees to prolong her life.
Ah Qing (pseudonym: left), the elder sister of the family, is the breadwinner of the family. To help the mother and child heal, she raised medical expenses.
She feels guilty for not being able to provide the best financial support for her family in a job that pays erratically.
(Photo by Mak Kan Taki)
[Donate now] The road to fight against cancer is rough
Blood does not affect love.
I want them to know that I'm there for whatever happens, not to pay back.
Family is the most powerful backing.
eldest daughter Ah Qing
The two female protagonists play the role of caregivers
The mother and brother both suffered from cancer. The two sisters decided to start their own family, one responsible for making money to support the family and the other taking care of the household chores.
As caregivers, they are also under enormous pressure, and they are fortunate to be like "comrades in arms" who always cheer each other up.
When the pressure is so great that it is on the verge of bursting, the two will take time to go out to relax, or secretly cry for a while to express.
Aqing bluntly said that the reason for his continued support is "love". "Blood does not affect love. I want them to know that I am there for everything that happens, not to repay. Family is the most powerful backing." And Ayi Tan When the caregiver felt it, he burst into tears with sadness, but still firmly said: "It is necessary to continue to support, this is a need, and it is also my motivation."
However, Ah Qing, who is the only pillar of the family's economy, is now in financial constraints due to the closure of the theater, the suspension of work and the unstable income due to the epidemic.
Ah Qing can't afford the cost of her mother's medicines and her brother's post-operative examination. She feels guilty for her meager strength. She hopes that all walks of life can help her so that her mother can enjoy her old age and her brother can pursue his ideals in the future.
I don't feel sacrificed for the time being. In fact, I also know how to strike a balance. I will take time out of the street to balance my mind.
It is necessary to continue to support it, it is a need, and it is also my motivation.
Sister Ayi (pseudonym)
What is HER2 Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer is a common cancer among women, and it is the number one cancer among women in Hong Kong. One out of every 14 women has the chance to develop breast cancer. In 2019 alone, there were 4,761 new cases.
Twenty percent of the patients were positive for human epidermal growth factor receptor type II (HER2).
(see details)
What are germ cell tumors?
Germ cells are cells of the reproductive system that, when mature, become egg cells in women or sperm cells in men.
Germ cells can form tumors called germ cell tumors (GCTs).
Germ cell tumors can occur in different parts of the body, including the ovaries or testes, the area between the lungs, the brain, and more.
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