Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: teen fights congenital disease with grace and humour
Cassie Li, 16, in hospital after surgery for inflamed abdomen, embraces life despite her illness, spreading joy to others through music
Sixteen-year-old Cassie Li Pui-ying was rushed into an emergency operation in Hong Kong on Monday morning after days of persistent fever and severe abdominal swelling.
Doctors discovered a ruptured section of her colon and extensive inflammation inside her abdomen. The five-hour procedure saved her life, and she now remains in the intensive care unit under close monitoring.
Her mother, Marine Mak, remembers the shock that morning.
“When the doctor called me to the operating floor, my heart nearly stopped. But I’m thankful that the team acted quickly. I believe everything is in God’s hands,” she said.
But for Li, health crises are not new.
Since infancy, she has lived with a rare congenital disorder that causes recurrent intestinal infections and nutritional challenges.