Advocate for Health and Author of Her Own Story

At almost 60 years old, my mom, Victoria Li, has done her fair share of community work throughout her lifetime. From what she has told me, it all started in 1989 when there were protests going on in Beijing during the movement for free speech and democracy. While my mom wasn’t one of the protesters risking their lives in Tiananmen Square, she was there behind the scenes providing protesters with any medical help they needed.

To give some context, my mom became a doctor in 1987 after graduating from Peking Union Medical College, one of the most prestigious medical schools in China. She began working at a hospital that was close to Tiananmen Square, which is located right in the heart of Beijing. When the conflict was going on, student protesters decided to go on a hunger strike in order to gain the attention of the Chinese government. The strike took place during May of 1989 and throughout that month, there were many protesters who began to succumb to the impacts of the strike. This is where my mom came in. Because she worked so close to the Square, she decided to volunteer after work and offer medical support to protesters who needed it. This was what ignited her passion for championing the health of her community members, even outside of her professional work.

Moving into the present, my mom has made volunteering a large part of her life, despite her full-time job as a pathologist. Over the past few years, she has taken a few active roles within the National Health Association (NHA), an organization whose mission is to “educate and empower individuals to understand that health results from healthful living, [recognizing] the integration of all aspects of health—personal, environmental, and social.” The NHA works to help people take control of their own lives and health, communicating the benefits of a healthy diet, a healthy environment, and psychological well-being. My mom is a lifetime member and volunteer for the organization, and she is also a past member of the NHA’s conference planning committee. She even wrote an article about early breast cancer for NHA’s magazine, which will be published in their fall 2021 issue. Through these experiences, she has been able to help others find their voices when it comes to their own health and wellness.

Recently, my mom also began volunteering for Walk with a Doc, which is a national program that aims to make health education accessible to all. My mom, who has seen benefits in her own health since adopting a whole-food plant-based diet, is very passionate about plant-based lifestyles, and she sees these walks as an opportunity to contribute to her local community through educating community members about how changing your diet can make a positive impact on your health. My mom mentioned how nutrition was never a topic she got to learn about when she was a medical student, so she has been eager to share her newfound knowledge with those around her. She has taken walks with eight community members from her hospital’s county so far, and she’s excited to reach even more people in the future.

Additionally, my mom has shared the knowledge she has gained through her career as a pathologist with those around her on countless occasions, but I would like to share one in particular. Last year, my mom visited the Optimal Health Institute, which offers a holistic program that promotes the well-being of body, mind, and spirit. During one night of her stay, there was the opportunity to participate in a talent show. My mom told me that she sees herself as shy, and she is not usually one to volunteer to speak to a large crowd. But she saw that event as an opportunity to overcome her shyness and also pass along some important knowledge about physical health to the other attendees. I remember her texting in our family group chat, telling me and my sister about how she was proud for pushing herself outside her comfort zone and overcoming her fear in order  to share her knowledge.

I am proud of my mom, too, and I hope she continues to find her own voice and share it with those around her.