Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: mother with Parkinson’s disease gives hope to other patients
- Winnie Chan, fighting for the rights of her peers, says that while their impairment is invisible, their needs are real
- The chairwoman of Hong Kong Parkinson’s Disease Association was nominated for an award for her perseverance
When Winnie Chan Yin was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1995, she was only 33.
“My feet shuffled whenever I became nervous,” the Hong Kong resident said, recounting some of her worst experiences.
“I had to lean on something or I would walk backwards [uncontrollably].”
In addition to gait and mobility problems, she was emotional.
“I cried easily,” Chan said.
Yet the mother of one, with support from her family, decided not to let the disease hold her back.
While medications can help control her symptoms, she found lifestyle changes and exercises also work for her.
“I see some patients develop degeneration very quickly,” Chan said. “It is comforting to find that I can still keep going.”
She aspires to set an example to other people living with the disease. Apart from helping fellow patients seize the day and live a better life, she works with a range of stakeholders to advance her peers’ rights.
While their impairment was invisible, their needs were real, Chan said.
She chairs Hong Kong Parkinson’s Disease Association, a 1,500-member group formed by people living with the impairment and their carers. She regularly shares her experiences with her peers.
Under her leadership, the group organises various events and activities and encourages members to develop new hobbies, such as singing, playing the harmonica, painting, jogging and hairdressing.
She led delegations to exchange ideas with other patient groups and perform in talent shows overseas. The delegates visited cities in mainland China, Taiwan and Malaysia.
Chan said she also hoped to form a ping pong team at her association, because she believed the sport was good for members’ health and motor coordination.
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Her patient group held tai chi events, which were joined by tai chi fans, to raise funds.
Chan’s work earned her a nomination at this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards.
The annual event, co-organised by the South China Morning Post and property developer Sino Group, celebrates the achievements of remarkable people whose work may otherwise go unnoticed.
Edith Kwan Ngan-hing, of the Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation, recommended Chan for the Spirit of Perseverance award, which honours individuals who overcame personal challenges to succeed.
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Chan said she hoped more could be done to address the needs of people living with Parkinson’s disease.
She said people living with the disorder might need a seat on public transport as much as people with other disabilities did.
Her group communicated with the MTR Corporation, the city’s rail giant, seeking more support for passengers living with Parkinson’s disease.
A suggestion is the adding of a specific logo, like the one used by the #thinkoutsidethechair movement, to the priority seat signage inside a carriage, with a view to raising public awareness of their impairment.
“I want to help my peers build self-confidence and to bring them hope,” she said.
