Ex-Hong Kong singer fights cancer for 8 years, face now paralysed and unable to control eyelids

When faced with a life-threatening condition like cancer, chances are, people will fight like hell to survive so they don't miss out on the joys of life that comes after their recovery.

But what happens when the fight comes at a heavy cost?

For ex-Hong Kong singer Sarena Li, her eight-year battle with an aggressive form of adenoid cystic carcinoma has left her face paralysed, the inability to control her eyelids, and the loss of sight in her right eye. It was also reported that the cancer cells have spread to her liver and kidney, and she is facing the risk of organ failure.

Her condition and the long fight have emotionally affected the 30-year-old.

She admitted on Facebook last Friday (Aug 14) that she is enduring a pain that's unlike anything she's felt in the past.

Aside from dealing with the emotional and mental strains, Sarena also has to contend with her deteriorating health. She wrote: "I've mentally prepared myself for this day. It's been eight years. I'm physically and emotionally tired. How long more can I last?"

Diagnosed at age 22

Sarena made her debut as part of a three-person pop group in 2010 before she was diagnosed with cancer two years later at the age of 22 and had to put her career on hold.

Speaking to Hong Kong media early this year, Sarena revealed that she has stopped all Eastern and Western medical treatments and is undergoing palliative care. She currently relies on blood transfusions to survive.

According to reports, in an effort to correct her right eyelid, she underwent surgery but her condition didn't improve. She went for another operation in June this year but as the cancer had already damaged her trigeminal nerve, her eyelid still could not fully open.

Sarena reportedly said: "Even though the results weren't what I expected, I've mentally prepared myself. Since this is the reality, I have to face it and accept it. I believe I can let go of this attachment and move on with life."

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"I still have many things I want to do"

However, she isn't throwing in the towel yet. She added in her recent Facebook post that she's grateful to those who have stood by her and encouraged her, and constantly reminds herself not to take her happiness for granted.

"In the end, you have to rely on yourself to walk out of the darkness. I will think of many comforting words to encourage myself. I know I can do it because I still have many things I want to do."

bryanlim@asiaone.com