Talent & Sector Development
Surmounting losses and sadness by embracing life
Charlton Shiu: “Seeing is believing, and sometimes believing is seeing.”
Childhood should be carefree and enjoyable. However, this was not the case for Charlton, who comes from a single-parent family. Her mother was diagnosed with leukaemia and Charlton has assumed the role of caregiver since lower secondary school years. “I went to hospital to take care of my mother until nine o’clock in the evening,” she recalls. “Then I would go home, do homework, sleep for three hours and start another day at five o’clock. Sometimes, it would be my turn to be admitted to hospital.”
Such pressure was difficult for anyone, let alone a young teenager, to bear. Unfortunately, Charlton also suffered from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and bipolar disorder. When the illness came on, the pain was unbearable and she had to get to the emergency room for injections. However, she did not succumb to despair. She studied even harder and was admitted to a university’s business school. Sadly, her mother never got to know of this success as she passed away during this time. Broken with grief and stress, Charlton withdrew from school to restore her health and wellness. This decision changed her dreams and destiny ever since.