Sophie Chan’s bedroom is typical for a nine-year-old. The shelves are lined with books, games and soft toys, while a diffuser pumps out a lemon scent.
“I’ve also been a thrill-seeker since I was young,” she said, showing a video that was taken when she was five. It shows Sophie hopping into a plastic tub and heading down a slide.
There is no doubt that Sophie is fearless, which has helped her in her cancer battle.
Sophie has B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. It is the most common type of cancer in children.
After Sophie was diagnosed, she was put on a strict food plan. Her treatment involved steroids, which led her to crave many off-limits foods.
But Sophie came up with a creative way to deal with her cravings: she started drawing the foods she yearned for, including a corn dog that she made into a character called Corny Ketchy.
The design has become a plush toy, thanks to the help of Make-A-Wish Hong Kong, a charity that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses.
Sophie hopes to pass on the love she has received by donating Corny Ketchy toys to Make-A-Wish, so it can sell them to raise funds for its work.
