Hongkong Singer Sarena Li Has Been Battling Rare Form Of Cancer That Damaged Her Facial Nerves For 8 Years

In 2012, Hongkong singer Sarena Li who had only made her debut as a member of the Hongkong pop trio Xiao Long Feng two years prior to that, was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare form of cancer that commonly develops in the salivary glands or other regions of the head and neck.

Unable to continue on with her dream of becoming a singer, Sarena, who was just 22 then, turned her focus to beating the spread of the cancer cells. Although she was given the all-clear from doctors in 2017, the cancer soon returned. A while later, due to a severe nosebleed, Sarena had to undergo emergency surgery, where doctors inserted a tube down her windpipe to help her breath. As a result, her vocal chords were permanently damaged.