At death, she finally wins some PEACE

At death, she finally wins some PEACE
HK paparazzi diverted from dying comedienne's trail by Edison Chen sex scandal LYDIA SUM (1947 - 2008)


FOR over a year, Lydia Sum was battling health problems as well as fending off the Hong Kong paparazzi.

Yesterday, the entertainer finally breathed her last, hopefully in relative peace.

Lydia, 61, died in the midst of a brief, three-week respite from the news hounds whose attention had mostly been diverted by the Edison Chen nude photo scandal.

TVB general manager Stephen Chan Chi Wan told the Hong Kong media yesterday that Lydia had died peacefully.

But the showbusiness veteran almost didn't get to enjoy her last moment of peace.

The Hong Kong media had been keeping an obsessive watch over Lydia since she fell ill in late 2006.

It all started when Lydia had surgery for bile duct infection in September 2006, setting off speculation of her suffering from liver or pancreatic cancer.

The following month, her 20-year-old daughter Joyce Cheng told the media that Lydia had complications from the operation and pleaded for them to leave her mother alone.

TIGHT VIGIL

However, that only made the Hong Kong media keep a tighter vigil on Lydia.

Lydia's name is synonymous with Hong Kong's entertainment scene as she had been in show business for 47 years.

But the roly-poly star was so protective of her privacy and dignity, she moved to a service apartment on the grounds of a hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui last November to avoid the paparazzi.

She told Ming Pao Daily News then: 'Now I can finally open the window and look at the scenery. There are flowers and grass outside, it's like looking at a postcard every day. My mood has become better.

'When I was at home, I had to close the curtains to avoid the paparazzi. There was no fresh air.

'Now I have more privacy. The paparazzi can't tail me as much so I can be happy and free for a day.'

Still, the media staked out her home and the Queen Mary Hospital, and shadowed her everywhere.

Whether Lydia was out shopping or eating, or attending her godson Jacky Cheung's concert last August, or going for hospital check-ups, the paparazzi would be hot at her heels.

They also took unflattering photographs of her, which got her hopping mad.

Her friend Chan Suk Fan, when asked by the Hong Kong media last Wednesday when Lydia could be discharged, jokingly said: 'She'll leave the hospital when you guys withdraw your teams.'

During the past few weeks, with Edison and his supposed leading ladies hogging the media spotlight, Lydia and Joyce probably breathed a little easier.

But some among the paparazzi continued to track Lydia's condition, although the reports were brief and the pictures were mostly of Joyce and her boyfriend on their way to visit Lydia.

Renowned director Clifton Ko Chi Sum told The New Paper yesterday that he hoped Lydia 'had passed away in peace'.

He had known Lydia for more than 20 years and had directed her in various shows such as the popular movie series It's A Mad Mad Mad World and Millionaire's Express.

The good-natured director slammed the way the paparazzi had stalked her in the past year.

He said over the phone from Hong Kong: 'How could they bear to follow such an ill person so closely day in, day out? What is there left to report?'

Lydia's friends here could not be contacted for comments.

Her good friend, producer Pauline Yu, diverted her handphone calls to her office and the person who answered said Pauline was out of town.

Lydia's Living With Lydia co-star Samuel Chong, whom she was once rumoured to be seeing, did not pick up his phone despite repeated calls.

Actress Ng Hui, who played Lydia's daughter, also did not respond to repeated calls and messages left by her artiste manager.

Project Superstar judge and Anthony Png, 41, who was singing coach to Lydia's daughter Joyce, told The New Paper he learnt the hard way that Lydia was fiercely protective of her privacy.

The two of them had fallen out some time ago after Anthony passed a call from a reporter to Joyce and incurred Lydia's wrath.

He said: 'She scolded me, saying how could I do this? I didn't think it was such a big deal. It was then that I realised she's very sensitive to the media glare.

'But I guess to them, who are constantly being hounded by the paparazzi, they can't be too careful.'

Anthony also recalled having to help Joyce and her boyfriend shake off the paparazzi once, when they were in town and the Hong Kong media had trailed them here.

RECONCILED AFTER MONTHS

That particular fall-out with Lydia took a few months and friends' mediation before they patched things up.

That was why Anthony was reluctant to reveal too much, out of respect for Lydia's wishes.

The last time he saw her was more than a year ago when Lydia came to town for a private visit. That was before she fell ill.

Anthony said that Lydia kept a low profile after the news of her illness came out.

He said that he and a group of friends had initially planned to visit her in Hong Kong, but decided against it eventually for fear of 'imposing on her when she's already ill'.

He received the news of her death through an SMS from a mutual friend.

Anthony added with a sigh: 'I know she's suffered for a long time, so this is a release for her in a way.'

How Lydia's health got worse

SEP 2006

Had surgery for bile duct infection. Talk of liver or pancreatic cancer surfaced.

OCT 2006

Daughter Joyce told media that mum has complications from operation, and pleaded with paparazzi to leave her alone.

JUL 2007

Ming Pao Daily News said Lydia lost 20kg and her complexion was waxy and yellow.

AUG 2007

Lydia attended godson Jacky Cheung's concert. With coiffed hair and in good mood, she asked paparazzi why they had not greeted her.

She spent HK$12m ($2m) on a therapy machine to lessen cancer pains.

OCT 2007

Hong Kong magazines said Lydia's condition has worsened and published photos of her bruised fingers and blackened nails.

She was sent to the hospital after fainting.

NOV 2007

Lydia attended TVB's 40th Anniversary Awards and went on stage in a wheelchair to receive lifetime achievement award. She attended banquet in Macau but was hospitalised for abdominal pains.

JAN 2008

Lydia was rushed to Queen Mary Hospital. Sources told media that she underwent an operation and patients on same floor heard her shouting, 'So painful.'

Her 96-year-old mother died in Vancouver, adding to her grief and health stress.

FEB 2008

Lydia was re-admitted to Queen Mary Hospital and spent Chinese New Year there.

YESTERDAY

Lydia died at 8.38am but the cause of death remains unclear.

Hospital authorities accede to family request to not reveal her medical condition or the cause of death.

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