“The best way to describe my relationship with my mum was that she was my best friend.”
When Christopher (Zhong) Lee found out his mum, Evelyn, was diagnosed with endometrial cancer in April 2020, it felt like his whole world had turned upside down in an instant.
“But when I saw my mum and how she handled everything, I was in awe of her. She showed so much strength, and I never saw her outwardly complaining, grumble or get angry.”
“When she first went into the hospital to receive chemotherapy, my Mum would share homemade care packages, including hand creams, lip balm and pieces of origami and chat with the other patients. She had an enormous heart and lived her life by faith. She genuinely cared about people and taught me that everyone I meet will have a story and something positive to offer.”
“Mum was a woman of incredible faith. This was carried out in her life, and she always encouraged me to “be a blessing to someone.”
Sadly, Evelyn succumbed to her cancer in April 2021.
To honour his mum, Christopher set himself the challenge of walking 200kms from 18 October to 18 November 2021 to raise awareness and funds for gynaecological cancer research.
“I chose this activity because one of Mum’s favourite hobbies was walking. It was her way to relax, talk to other people and detach from work. This fundraiser was my way to honour Mum’s life.”
“When Mum passed away on Easter Monday 2021, I knew that I wanted to honour her in some form. After her funeral, I was so touched by the number of people who shared their personal stories of how my Mum impacted them. From helping single mums, caring for women in complicated relationships, mentoring and tutoring international students (from Mainland China) and inviting people for a home-cooked meal - It was evident that she left a legacy of love. This is what inspired me to do the fundraiser. I wanted to continue her legacy of love by supporting gynaecological cancer research and encouraging individuals going through similar situations.”
Christopher set himself a fundraising target of $1000. Incredibly, with the amazing support of his family and friends, he has more than doubled his fundraising target. With only 6 days to go, each day Christopher is closing in on his distance target too!
“When I saw that we had surpassed our original target within 24 hours, I was super emotional. The messages of encouragement, and the number of people telling me how Mum impacted their lives is proof that her legacy continues to live on to this day.”
Join us in thanking Christopher for taking on his fundraising challenge and for sharing his mum’s story with us.
Let’s cheer Christopher home as he aims to reach over 200kms by 18 November!
Go Christopher - you've got this in the bag!
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