Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: persevering in face of health setbacks earns psychology graduate nomination from teachers’ union
- Debbie Kwan overcame systemic lupus erythematosus and stiff person syndrome to win place at university
- Overcoming adversity has earned her a nomination in Spirit of Perseverance category from Hong Kong Professional Teachers’ Union
Debbie Kwan Ho-kwan is determined to move forward in life and not let chronic health conditions hold her back.
The 27-year-old was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus in 2012 and stiff person syndrome in 2019.
According to the website of the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Centre, systemic lupus erythematosus, which is more common in young women, is an autoimmune disease that can affect almost every organ in the body, while stiff person syndrome is a rare, progressive syndrome that affects the nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord.
“The diseases kept impacting on my studies,” Kwan, who is a counselling and psychology graduate, said, adding that the lupus had long affected her brain, lungs and kidneys.
“In the worst of situations, I became delirious and couldn’t recognise people,” Kwan said.
