When the 81-year-old Lee Heung Kam (李香琴) starred in a Snickers commercial that involved her playing association football with a group of high school kids last year, the veteran actress and singer was praised for her refreshing vigor and youthful attitude. But a few months later, Kam Jeh was reported to have fallen in her home three times and sustained minor bone fractures in her waist and thighs. Due to the fall, Kam Jeh is unable to use too much strength on her legs. The need for a wheelchair became necessary. Although Kam Jeh is now released from the hospital, she has to report to her doctor every week for physical therapy, and had to rely on her male domestic helper to carry her to the hospital bed. Kam Jeh, who is known for her excellent memory in reading scripts, is also reportedly suffering from memory loss due to aging, causing much worry among her family and friends. Luckily, Kam Jeh’s filial son-in-law, Fu Yum Chor (傅蔭鎈), is a doctor, and willingly forked over $1 million HKD for her hospital bills. A Buddhist, Kam Jeh has been active in the Hong Kong film and television industry since 1946. In 1950, the then 18-year-old Kam Jeh married Cantonese opera master Siu Chung Kwan (蕭仲坤), and the couple had one daughter. In 1957, Kam Jeh and Siu divorced. Though Siu and their daughter had immigrated to Canada, they often return to Hong Kong to visit Kam Jeh. Kam Jeh’s last acting performance before her hospitalization was 2010’s Can’t Buy Me Love <公主嫁到>, portraying the grandmother of the Kam family. Although Kam Jeh has never released a musical album, she frequently performs old-school Cantopop hits with singing partner, Tam Bing Man (譚炳文) at various concerts. Creds: East Week
