Born in 1968 to an ordinary Hong Kong family of grass-roots background, Joanna grew up in a government housing estate in Shek Yam. She attended Shek Yam Salesian Primary School, finished high school and was a top scholar at TWGH Mrs. Wu York Yu Memorial College, graduating in 1983 with eight "As". She was one of the top students in her class. She then went on to Medical School at the Chinese University.

During high school, Joanna had already excelled as a student, both in character as well as in her studies. She showed good leadership qualities and was always willing to help others. She participated in the Girl Scouts Society, and was active in swimming and tennis. She also loved to read. You can say that she was an all-round student.

Even at an early age, Joanna determined to be a doctor. Her father has a vivid recollection of Joanna when she was four or five years old, watching a rescue scene on television and she immediately piped up that she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up! Her dream eventually came true. Her aspiration created an extraordinary story. According to her teacher, Joanna had six good qualities - she studied hard, paid attention in class, showed great care towards others, was a good listener and was always careful and precise in her dealings.

Joanna was exemplary in all that she did. Not only was her performance in university outstanding but several research analysts of SARS, medical consultants, and her former professor and now Secretary for Education and Manpower, Arthur K. C. Li, think very highly of Joanna.

In the decade following her graduation as a doctor, Joanna added three more academic qualifications to her cap. She went to the UK to further her studies and became a lung and chest specialist. Little did she know she would be greatly tested in the battle against SARS.

Following graduation from medical school in 1992, she was posted to Tuen Mun Hospital where she remained, faithfully serving the community for the past 10 years! She worked her way up from the emergency room, to the geriatric ward and, finally, the chest and lung department. She was friendly, honest, down to earth and easy-going, and many found it easy to be friends with her. Colleagues gave her the nickname "Little Cousin Sister". This lung specialist could also persuade many a difficult patient to listen to her.

Towards the end of 2000, Joanna Tse married a fellow doctor, Albert Chan. But barely one and a half years later, he died of leukemia. In the Spring of 2003, when the atypical pneumonia broke out in Hong Kong, Tuen Mun Hospital received the first group of SARS patients. Joanna immediately volunteered to work in the Intensive Care Unit, where many SARS patients were already in critical condition. Within half an hour, she bravely performed intubation (putting a ventilator mouthpiece in the throat) for four SARS infected patients, motivated only by one thought - saving their lives. In doing so she made the ultimate sacrifice. She and a male nurse were thus infected.

On April 3rd, she fell dreadfully ill. During the first ten days, her condition remained stable. But on the 15th, her condition began to deteriorate and she had to be transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, and was hooked to a ventilator machine. She remained in ICU for a month till her death. Even during that time, Joanna wanted to be discharged so that she could help in the ward. However, her condition did not improve. Before she fell into a coma, Joanna asked her best friend to comfort her mother and to tell her that she missed her mother so much.

Joanna died at 4 am. on May 13th. She has fought the good fight and finished her race. As a Christian, she has been promoted to Heaven. Her work on earth is done, and she has been called home to her great reward.
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