I am Betty's medical school classmate. I knew Betty through many large classes we shared during our pre-clinical courses. However, at that time, I did not know Betty too well.

I saw Betty again in Boston in 2009 and only got to know her really well after her cancer diagnosis in 2011. Therefore, I had some first hand knowledge of the journey Betty had gone through, and want to share with you some of Betty's stories I knew.

Several months into her cancer diagnosis, Betty had a lot of pain and also anxiety. I encouraged her to go to meditation with me to help dealing with these problems. On Dec 21, 2011, Betty went with me to a meditation class in Boston for the first time. During the discussion in the class, the meditation teacher asked Betty to make a hat for her. I knew that the intention of this request was to make Betty taking her mind off the suffering she was going through and focus her mind on something helpful to others. Although Betty had knitted thing before, she told me that she never made hat before. She gladly took the challenge regardless.

The next day, Betty sent me a website (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cq9ivY-FAw) showing how to make a hat from the very beginning and she started the first try. The first hat she made was a bit small for the teacher, the second one was a much better fit. 

Around the same time frame, she told me that she knew some wonderful people at the Patient and Family Resource Center of Dana Faber Cancer Institute. They taught all kinds of Creative arts to cancer patients and their families. She could use the yarns provided by that resource center and some from her own resource to make more hats for children with cancer. 

Then more and more hats came out of Betty's hands just like magic.

Nov 8, 2012 (not even one year after her first hat making effort), Betty sent to a group of her friends a powerpoint file containing pictures of hats of 141 different styles (see 4 attached photos). The beautiful designs plus the diversity of those hats is just one example of Betty's " “whirlwind of creative energy." called by one of her doctors.

Dec, 2012. A website announcing Betty's fund raising effort for children with cancer was publicized (http://belmont.patch.com/groups/editors-picks/p/a-small-christmas-ornament-speaks-from-the-heart). To my knowledge, Betty made over 1000 hats since Dec 2011 for charity. The hat story is just a tip of the iceburger of Betty's creativity. She had made many other creative art objects and taught many patients, their families and her friends. I was also among her students of creative arts.

On Betty journey with cancer, there was not just pain and suffering, there were amazingly also lots of fun and laugh. When the pain prevented her from getting the sleep at night, she told me that she listened to ghost stories and ghost stories scared her to sleep sometimes, “It was so much fun 好玩儿极了”and she even offered some of those ghost stories to me.

She went on cruises, spent a lot of time with nature, flowers, friends and other cancer patients. Betty told us  that the time after her cancer diagnosis, she had the best time of her life.

I sent Betty's hat pictures to some people in depression, people with other serious illnesses, Betty's spirit always to cheer them up and to see life in a brighter light.

Betty, in this life, you loved, helped and inspired many. You are also loved by many. On this journey with cancer, you transformed yourself from a vulnerable cancer patient to a hero against cancer and other adversities in life. You were so beautiful, lovely, so brave, so unique and so much fun. We were very lucky to have you in our lives. We are very proud of you.  Farewell Betty, in my mind, you have not gone far, your life has transformed into a different form, an inspiration and a loving memory forever in our hearts.

澄碧，今生有幸认识你。你生命虽逝，慧命永存。

Betty did not like to talk about herself, but working side by side with her I have learned about some events in her life.  One story made me realize that Betty was a real hero. She told me how she moved to the United States. Betty had to leave China for fear of prosecution by the government. During the tragic events on the Tiananmen Square in 1989, Betty was helping the injured. As a medical professional she could not keep away. Betty was driving her small car back and forth picking up injured students and soldiers and delivering them to the hospital to get help.

Betty was always very companionate, always tried to help. I will miss her friendship.

Natalia