Hong Kong teenager who kept up studies despite cancer diagnosis among those honoured in Student of the Year award
- Cancer survivor pupil who returned to school after chemotherapy and overcame depression and anxiety among five winners in Best Improvement category
- The annual awards, organised by the Post and in its 41st year, will hold presentation ceremony on Saturday
Ceon Yan Tsz-soen stopped attending school in November 2019 after the youngster, then 16, was given a life-changing piece of news when she was diagnosed with lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system.
Her parents cried when they were told, but Yan, now 18, stayed strong and did not shed a tear.
“I was somehow prepared for it as the doctor said my situation was a bit abnormal after several checks. When I really knew it, I was like, okay, I have to face the truth,” she said.
She is one of five winners in the Best Improvement category of this year’s Student of the Year Awards, organised by the South China Morning Post and solely sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Yan started to undergo chemotherapy in March 2020 and experienced typical side effects. She lost her hair, vomited and felt dizzy all the time, but she soldiered on through the gruelling treatment programme.
She returned to school in September that year after completing treatment and had to resume her studies in Form Five while her classmates were already in Form Six.
