Cancer is something that touches many families across Hong Kong. Behind every diagnosis is a person going through treatment, caring for loved ones, and doing their best to keep life steady in the middle of change. In those moments, having the right support around them can make a real difference.

We would be so grateful for your help in raising HK$3 million so we can continue providing FREE professional care and to strengthen our Hardship Fund. This support helps ensure that people touched by cancer can receive both emotional and practical help when life becomes especially difficult.

Cancer is never just about medical treatment. It often brings unexpected financial pressure such as loss of income, rising treatment and care costs, transport, and everyday living expenses that do not stop. These challenges can quickly become overwhelming, especially when someone is already focused on their health and recovery.

Our Hardship Fund is an important part of our services. It provides practical support alongside the care given by our team of frontline professionals including nurses, counsellors, and social workers, who serve people touched by cancer at every stage. Together, they help ensure emotional support, practical guidance, and financial assistance are provided in a timely way, so no one has to face cancer alone.

This is the experience of Mrs. Lam*, whose story gently reminds us why your support matters so much.

Mrs. Lam is 56 years old and was diagnosed with lung cancer in August 2025. Her treatment has included surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Before her diagnosis, she worked as a waitress in a local restaurant. After her diagnosis, she was no longer able to continue working.

*It is important to note that Mrs. Lam is not her real name. We have changed her name in this letter to protect her privacy.

She lives in a 200sq.ft. public housing flat with her 15-year-old son, who is now in secondary school. As a widow with no other family members in Hong Kong, she has been managing both her treatment and her role as a parent on her own.

Mrs. Lam receives CSSA of HK$7,520 per month, but her monthly expenses have risen to HK$11,953 due to treatment costs, home care needs, and nutritional support. Even a small gap between income and essential expenses can bring ongoing worry each month.

When Mrs. Lam came to the Hong Kong Cancer Fund, she completed a Distress Thermometer assessment and scored 8 out of 10. She shared with us:

“I thought I was coping, but when I came here, I realised how much I had been holding in without even noticing.”

She also said:

“I was trying to stay strong for my son, but I didn’t really have a place where I could let my worries out.”

Our frontline team supported her right away, and her application to the Hardship Fund was subsequently submitted and approved. This support helped ease the immediate pressure of daily living costs and treatment-related expenses, giving her more space to focus on her recovery and her son.

Alongside financial assistance, Mrs. Lam also received ongoing care from our team. She worked closely with our social worker to navigate practical challenges and emotional stress, and she joined counselling sessions, classes, and wellbeing programmes designed to support people through treatment and recovery. These moments gave her space to rest, connect with others, and feel supported beyond medical care.

She shared:

“Coming to the Centre didn’t just help me practically, it helped me feel less alone. I could talk, I could learn, and I didn’t feel like I was carrying everything by myself anymore.”

“Even on difficult days, the support reminded me that I wasn’t on my own in this.”

Through our Hardship Fund, we are able to respond quickly when families face urgent financial pressure, helping with essential living costs, nutrition, and immediate needs during treatment, all coordinated through our caring frontline team.

At our four Cancer Support Centres in Hong Kong, people touched by cancer can access free professional services throughout their journey. This includes emotional support, counselling, nursing guidance, social work support, nutrition advice, family support, and wellbeing programmes. Our frontline teams take the time to understand each person’s situation so support can be personal, practical, and timely.

Thanks to supporters like you, we are able to continue offering care and financial help to more families like Mrs. Lam’s.

We would be very grateful for any support you are able to give. Many of our supporters choose to give amounts such as HK$200, HK$300, HK$500, or other contributions that feel meaningful to them.

Thank you so much for your previous generosity. Because of you, we are able to support people affected by cancer with both care and practical help when they need it most. We would be very grateful if you could continue to support us and help more families through our Hardship Fund.

Please help us raise HK$3 million to continue these life-changing services. Every gift, no matter the size, helps ensure that people like Mrs. Lam can receive both professional care and practical support when they need it most.

Your kindness makes a real difference to families facing cancer. Because of you, we are able to operate our four Cancer Support Centres across Hong Kong, providing FREE professional services at every stage of the cancer journey, from diagnosis through to treatment and survivorship.

We receive no government or Community Chest funding. Every service we provide is made possible by the generosity of people like you.

Through our Centres, we are able to provide:

● Financial hardship fund: timely emergency aid when life gets tough

● Family support: strengthening bonds and easing caregiver stress

● Symptom management, nursing counselling and psychological support: gentle compassionate care

● Rainbow Club: support for children aged 5-17 whose family members have been touched by cancer.

● YouCan: support for career, adjustment programmes, networking for young adult cancer patients aged 18 to 39 years old.

● Social workers: offering practical guidance

● Nutrition guidance and wellness activities: physical strength and wellbeing

● Bereavement care: comfort and dignity in the most difficult moments

● Wigs and prosthesis: support through treatment-related side effects.

With your help, we can continue to ensure that no one has to face cancer alone, offering both emotional care and practical support, every step of the way.