{
  "id": 13299947,
  "title": "Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: Blind musician with rare birth disease plays her heart out",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/spirit-of-hong-kong-awards-blind-musician-with-rare-birth-disease-13299947",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-10T02:15:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3370302/spirit-hong-kong-awards-blind-musician-rare-birth-disease-plays-her-heart-out"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Hong Kong, Cassie Li Pui-ying, a 17-year-old blind musician with Hirschsprung's disease, received recognition for her perseverance at the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards for the second consecutive year. The awards, organized by Sino Group and the South China Morning Post, honor individuals and groups who often go unrecognized for their work. Li, who has gone through numerous health challenges, including a recent seven-hour surgery, played drums at Queen Elizabeth Stadium in front of over 2,500 spectators. Her mother, Marine Mak, helped organize the event at Live Theatre, which offers visually impaired students a platform to perform. Despite her disabilities—lacking nerve cells that aid digestion and having limited vision in one eye—Li has learned to play multiple instruments and is currently in Form Four with an adapted curriculum. She aspires to pursue a career in music, either through performance, songwriting, or other industry-related roles. Li's resilience stems from her past struggles, including the loss of her father six years ago when she was 11. She credits her family, teachers, and medical staff for their unwavering support, which has motivated her to continue learning, performing, and looking forward to the future.",
  "summary": "A year after a seven-hour surgery in Hong Kong in 2025, Cassie Li Pui-ying was on stage at Queen Elizabeth Stadium, playing the drums before an audience of more than 2,500 people. She heard the applause but could not see who it came from. That March night was organised by Live Theatre, which her mother Marine Mak also helps run. Li sang, spoke and played the drums. The group gives visually…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post - Hong Kong",
        "title": "Legal arguments delay trial over murder of Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi again",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/legal-arguments-delay-trial-over-murder-of-hong-kong-socialite-abby",
        "published": "2026-10-09T06:59:26.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hong Kong Free Press",
        "title": "Hong Kong nat. security police charge man over ‘seditious’ posts 3 months after unannounced arrest",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/hong-kong-nat-security-police-charge-man-over-seditious-posts-3",
        "published": "2026-10-09T07:30:24.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}