'I shed tears on the balcony': Mark Lee stays strong but secretly cries over younger daughter's illness late at night

For a parent, watching their child suffer must be the most heartbreaking thing there is.

Actor and comedian Mark Lee is staying strong to carry on but admitted to crying secretly at night over his youngest daughter Calynn's medical condition.

On the latest episode of the meWATCH talk show Hear U Out released last night (Sept 1), Mark, 53, told host Quan Yi Fong that he just has to "keep going" when it comes to facing the challenges of his daughter's illness.

He said: "You don't need a reason, you have to keep going no matter what it takes. You don't think about a goal, or think in what way you can keep going. You just have to keep going."

However, he displays his vulnerability when he's alone at night.

"Late in the night, when I have coffee out on the balcony, I do shed tears. I ask myself why this little girl has to suffer — why, when she's so little.

"And the thing is that she might never grow much, so we have to keep going."

Calynn, who is now nine, was diagnosed with glomerulonephritis (a kidney condition) after an immune reaction to a virus she contracted in 2018.

"Further tests were needed to determine if the damage was acute or chronic," he said, adding that she was hospitalised twice for a high fever of 41 degree Celsius. Both incidents were only a month apart.

He had to stay strong for his wife, as the couple "couldn't have functioned if both of us were overly anxious."

Even as he watched hospital staff use a giant needle to take samples from her kidneys, he said: "I didn't break down. My wife was there, and I was standing by her side. I only broke down in the washroom later."

After he freshened up and his wife asked if he had cried, he laughed and told her, "You wouldn't know."

To help raise awareness and provide support to other parents, Mark set up a Facebook page called Cheers for Calynn Lee after his daughter was diagnosed.

He said: "We all shared our experiences and encouraged one another."

[[nid:594720]]

He received some backlash from those who claimed he did so to garner sympathy, to which Mark responded: "Do you think I need such sympathy?

"I'm sharing my story in the hope that others will be better able to care for their family members."

While taking care of his daughter, Mark is careful not to let his son Maksonn, 11, and older daughter Calista, 14, feel left out.

"We let them know that meimei (little sister) is sick," he explained to his children. "We told them that we might show their sister more care."

Despite the hardships, Mark remains hopeful about young Calynn's condition.

He said: "We're being positive about it. We hope that, by the time she turns 18 or 19, her immune system will be rebuilt and she'll make a full recovery."

drimac@asiaone.com