Late Cheng Pei Pei’s Family Fulfils Her Final Wish By Donating Her Brain For Medical Research
The martial arts icon, who died in 2024 at 78, had long hoped her body could continue contributing to society even after her death.
Late martial arts icon Cheng Pei Pei’s family has fulfilled one of her final wishes by donating her brain for medical research.
Best known for her role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the veteran actress died in the US in 2024 at the age of 78.
According to recent reports, Pei Pei’s family confirmed that her brain was donated to US non-profit Brain Support Network (BSN), which supports research into neurodegenerative disorders, particularly atypical Parkinsonism.
Pei Pei was diagnosed in 2019 with corticobasal degeneration (CBD), a rare condition that can cause movement, memory and speech problems similar to Parkinson's disease.
She kept her diagnosis private and quietly battled the disease in her final years, choosing instead to spend as much time as possible with her family.
Following her death, her agency Supreme Art Entertainment revealed that Pei Pei had chosen to donate her brain to help further research into the condition.
It turns out donating her body to science was something Pei Pei had thought about long before she fell ill.
The Shanghai-born star had signed an agreement to donate her body to the University of Hong Kong for medical research years before her diagnosis.
She had also spoken candidly about death and hoped that even after she was gone, her body could continue contributing to society.
In a past interview, she said that while she was old and her organs might no longer be usable, she could still donate her corneas and her body.
She also wanted her ashes scattered on the University of Hong Kong campus after the research was completed.
Pei Pei joined Shaw Brothers Studio in 1963 and shot to fame as Golden Swallow in the 1966 wuxia classic Come Drink With Me.
Younger audiences may remember her as the formidable Madam Wah in Stephen Chow's 1993 comedy Flirting Scholar, or as villain Jade Fox in Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000).
She also starred in Mediacorp dramas Heroes In Black (2001), Springs Of Life (2002) and Women Of Times (2006).
Her final film role was as the matchmaker in Disney's live-action Mulan in 2020.
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