Hong Kong teen’s will to fight illness ‘incredibly low’ after near-death scares

SCMP | Aug. 14, 2026, 4:12 a.m. | Original

Chen Tsz-kin, who has been told people with his condition have an average life expectancy of 18, says he was recovering physically and had gained confidence after the latest health scare. Photo: Facebook

A teenager who fears dying young has narrowly escaped death twice this year after contracting influenza and respiratory virus infection, enduring what he described as his “most emotionally devastating breakdown”.

Chen Tsz-kin , 17, was diagnosed with the incurable muscle-wasting disease at the age of 18 months and was told that people with the condition had an average life expectancy of 18.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, he revealed that he had experienced two near-death episodes this year, including one in recent weeks.

He first battled influenza A for six months. Then, last month, he was hospitalised for three days after contracting respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Chen experienced chest pain, a fever and flu-like symptoms, describing the latest episode as a serious setback in his life. An X-ray showed patchiness in his lungs, although he said it was not as serious as when he had influenza A.

“I just went through the most emotionally devastating breakdown of my life. The tears kept flowing, and it took me a full 10 minutes of non-stop crying just to slowly calm down,” he recalled.

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