Surgeon's artistic talents delight children

Dr Lucci Lugee Liyeung, Resident Specialist of Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology of Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH), has an impressive skillset to draw upon when she goes home from her life-transforming work in the operating theatre. She has written and illustrated three children’s books. One of them, entitled Dr Dumo et al, has been translated into over 10 languages.

“One mother told me her son refused to wear a face mask, but changed his mind after reading my book. That really surprised and pleased me,” says Dr Liyeung. The idea for her first book, entitled Dr Dumo et al, came in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when she decided to translate key anti-pandemic messages aimed at children into fun and easy-to-understand illustrations, along with a bilingual text. Dr Dumo et al took her just three days to complete and was made available as a free online download. It attracted readers worldwide and was later translated into languages including Japanese, Korean, Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese, French, and Spanish, etc..

The main character, Dr Dumo, was inspired by an orphaned cheetah Duma Dr Liyeung cared for and developed a close bond with when she worked as a volunteer in a sanctuary in Africa 16 years ago.

Dr Liyeung’s went on to release two books in physical form six months later, which teach children about the work of hospital frontline staff and manage hospital visit anxiety for children. She decided to publish more bedtime storybooks when a mother told her that her child asked her to read Dr Dumo et al every night.

For Dr Liyeung, being a surgeon by day and an illustrator and author out of work hours combines her skills of precision, attention to detail, and a passionate dedication to the wellbeing of patients of all ages.