Monday, August 10, 2009
An eight-year-old girl who survived the trauma of a liver transplant as a baby is heading for the 17th World Transplant Games in Australia.
Choi Sum-yi will join 42 other people from Hong Kong who have fully recovered from serious illness after organ transplants.
Sum-yi, who underwent the transplant just two months after she was born, will compete in five swimming events.
"I am good in freestyle," Choi said, adding she has been practicing hard for the competition since last year.
"I practice six days a week, and each session lasts at least an hour."
Sporting a warm smile, Sum-yi talked about her energetic nature, saying she seldom tires of swimming.
She is also passionate about the gu- zheng, calligraphy, weiqi and Chinese martial arts.
Nevertheless, her tight weekly schedule has not affected her academic performance - Sum-yi was ranked first among her Primary Two schoolmates.
Hong Kong Society of Transplantation president Philip Li Kam-tao said 112 organ failure patients had transplants from early this year to August 6.
"This shows we now have more organ donors and waiting time can be shortened," Li said, adding that not every organ failure patient is as lucky as Sum-yi.
"The demand for organ transplants is always increasing. We still have 1,700 on the waiting list," he said, adding it normally takes at least a four-year wait for a kidney transplant, and that many heart and lung failure patients die waiting.
"I hope the number of donors continues to increase, especially in Hong Kong which has comparatively fewer donors compared with other countries."
Serinah Ho
Monday, August 10, 2009
An eight-year-old girl who survived the trauma of a liver transplant as a baby is heading for the 17th World Transplant Games in Australia.
Choi Sum-yi will join 42 other people from Hong Kong who have fully recovered from serious illness after organ transplants.
Sum-yi, who underwent the transplant just two months after she was born, will compete in five swimming events.
"I am good in freestyle," Choi said, adding she has been practicing hard for the competition since last year.
"I practice six days a week, and each session lasts at least an hour."
Sporting a warm smile, Sum-yi talked about her energetic nature, saying she seldom tires of swimming.
Sports News | ナイキ エア マックス エクシー "コルク/ホワイト" (NIKE AIR MAX EXCEE "Cork/White") [DJ1975-100] , Fullress , スニーカー発売日 抽選情報 ニュースを掲載!ナイキ ジョーダン ダンク シュプリーム SUPREME 等のファッション情報を配信!
She is also passionate about the gu- zheng, calligraphy, weiqi and Chinese martial arts.
Nevertheless, her tight weekly schedule has not affected her academic performance - Sum-yi was ranked first among her Primary Two schoolmates.
Hong Kong Society of Transplantation president Philip Li Kam-tao said 112 organ failure patients had transplants from early this year to August 6.
"This shows we now have more organ donors and waiting time can be shortened," Li said, adding that not every organ failure patient is as lucky as Sum-yi.
"The demand for organ transplants is always increasing. We still have 1,700 on the waiting list," he said, adding it normally takes at least a four-year wait for a kidney transplant, and that many heart and lung failure patients die waiting.
"I hope the number of donors continues to increase, especially in Hong Kong which has comparatively fewer donors compared with other countries."