Australian violinist plays for breast cancer patients

World
Europe

02:24

You might not expect a hospital to be the location for a violin performance, but Australia's Patrick Roberts played his favorite songs for patients at the Cancer Hospital at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Beijing on Wednesday.

Besides for bringing peace to many suffering from breast cancer, his performance has a personal aspect too.

"My mother was a breast cancer sufferer, and after many months of treatment, she was one of the lucky survivors. Since releasing my new album Pink, with the proceeds going to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, I have always liked to help in any way I can with charity events and performances that go towards helping breast cancer sufferers cope with treatment and the journey ahead," Patrick said.

CGTN Photo

Patrick's mother is part of a growing group of survivors worldwide, thanks to advanced treatments. But the disease still troubles 1.3 million women each year, including many in China.

Dr. Ma Fei, deputy director of the hospital's Department of Internal Medicine, points out that China currently accounts for one-third of the world's breast cancer incidents, and tens of thousands of women die from it annually.

"In fact, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among young Chinese women under 45 years old," Ma said.

Ma suggests that women give birth before turning 30 and insist on breastfeeding their babies. He also says healthy lifestyles and eating habits help reduce the cancer risk.

CGTN Photo‍

At the end of the hospital concert, Patrick played "You Raise Me Up" together with his partner Wang Zhiming. The song encourages patients to get through the treatment process and fight the disease.

"My hope for the many thousands of women out there that suffer from breast cancer on a day to day basis is that we further advance world-class breast cancer research and work towards a goal of zero deaths from breast cancer by 2030," said Patrick.

As a global charity ambassador of the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Patrick plans to continue his charity work in this area, and help raise funds and breast cancer awareness.