Hui Chuen Lee Kao

 

Hui Chuen Lee Kao was born on November 23, 1935 in Yue Qing, a seaside town in the Zhe Jiang province of China. At age 16, she joined the army, and two years later, she met her future husband, John Chi Kao, while they were both stationed in Zhou Shang Islands. Following John's move to the city of Nanjing, Hui Chuen went on to the army’s nursing school there and later worked for years in a prestigious army hospital in the city.

 

After leaving the army hospital, Hui Chuen held medical practice positions in different local clinics in Nanjing. She continued her medical education and training, eventually becoming a medical doctor as well as a doctor in traditional Chinese medicine. In the early 80s, Hui Chuen immigrated to the US with her husband and two children. After obtaining her license for practicing traditional Chinese medicine, she worked for private clinics and taught at the Five Branches University, a school of traditional Chinese medicine. During this period of her career, she earned her PhD in traditional Chinese medicine. In 1987, she set out to open her own practice, where she worked until the end of her life.

 

Throughout the long span of her career as a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, Hui Chuen stayed true to her strong medical ethics, high standard of practice, and solid medical training that she was always proud to have had. She treated each and every one of her patients with kindness, care, compassion, dignity, equality, generosity, and professionalism. She never ceased to learn and to improve her healing skills. Combining her training and experience in both western and traditional Chinese medicine, she developed her own unique healing methods and successfully treated many illnesses, and became well known as a pain specialist. During her time as a practitioner, she treated more than five thousand patients. She was praised by her patients as an “amazing doctor”, a “miracle worker”, and “an angel”.

 

Hui Chuen was an amazingly strong woman with deep conviction. She was deeply devoted to her husband, and they shared a lifelong love for each other. She was a loving mother and grandmother. Her generosity was well known among people who she knew. She loved fashion, and loved planting flowers, fruit trees and vegetables. She was a great cook. Her love of seafood and making her home town in China as her favorite travel destination were well known among family and friends. She is survived by two children, and four grandchildren. She will be forever missed and lovingly remembered by her family, friends, and patients.