Vanessa Li

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Vanessa suffered from very severe ME

Vanessa Yeuk Lin Li (1981-2015) was notable for her work in founding the crowdfunding campaign for the Microbe Discovery Project.

Life[edit | edit source]

Vanessa lived in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Illness[edit | edit source]

Vanessa first became ill with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) during a family ski trip in the Italian Alps as a college student where she caught a flu and never recovered. "She spent the next 15 years wracked by piercing migraines, chronic pain, breathing issues, and occasional paralysis."[1]

Microbe Discovery Project[edit | edit source]

Vanessa was a founder of the Microbe Discovery Project crowdfunding campaign.

Death[edit | edit source]

In a February 16, 2015 Facebook Post post by Vanessa's family, the ME/CFS community learned that Vanessa took her own life by taking an overdose of sleeping pills and donated her body to medical research for ME/CFS.[2]

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Vanessa's youngest brother, Julian Li, produced a video montage of Vanessa's life story.[3]

Dr. Mady Hornig and Dr. Ian Lipkin said of Vanessa's passing, "There are no words to express how [we] feel on learning of the tragic loss of Vanessa Li. Vanessa was the driving force behind the crowd funding campaign for the Microbe Discovery Project."[4]

Her co-founders at the Microbe Discovery Project crowdfunding campaign:

"On February the 4th 2015 our dear friend and colleague Vanessa Li passed away. There has been a cascade of condolences and messages as this community processes the loss of a person who touched so many people. Vanessa founded this crowdfunding project and this team has worked closely and intensely for over a year. Through all the ups and downs of working in a team trying to achieve something we care about we have got to know each other quite well. We are still in shock over this loss and we miss her."[5]

Online presence[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Khazan, Olga (October 8, 2015). "The Tragic Neglect of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome". The Atlantic. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  2. 2.0 2.1 The Li Family (February 16, 2015). "In memory of Vanessa Yeuk Lin Li". Facebook. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Li, Julian (March 12, 2015). "Vanessa Memorial Video Montage (Memorial Service)". YouTube. Virtual Vigil for Vanessa Li.
  4. Lipkin, Ian; Hornig, Mady (February 8, 2015). "Tribute to crowdfund founder Vanessa Li from Drs Lipkin & Hornig". The Microbe Discovery Project. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  5. The Microbe Discovery Project crowdfund team (February 9, 2015). "Our tribute to Vanessa Li, founder of the crowdfund". The Microbe Discovery Project. Retrieved August 10, 2018.