Ex-TVB Actor Sammul Chan Diagnosed With Incurable Brain Disease; Reportedly Quitting Showbiz To Become A Missionary

Former TVB actor Sammul Chan is reportedly leaving showbiz for good to become a missionary.

The 42-year-old was diagnosed with cerebrovascular disease in 2018 during a hospital examination in Thailand. Doctors told him that he is missing an important blood vessel in his brain, and that his condition is incurable. When he returned to Hongkong, another checkup revealed that the disease was hereditary, and that it would impact his health as he grows older.

The diagnosis hit Sammul hard and he found himself consumed with negative thoughts. During a diving trip, he considered going deeper into the water to end his life because he felt that “nobody would find [him] if [he] did that”.

His family encouraged him to start going to church again as he had grown distant from the religion over the years. After reconnecting with his faith, Sammul decided that he now wants to help others like him and has been giving talks about his experience at church events.

Since his diagnosis, the actor has also scaled back on his showbiz career. According to reports, he is now pursuing a degree in theology at an online university based in the USA and plans to become a missionary eventually.

Sammul got his start in showbiz as a radio DJ before becoming an actor with TVB in 1999. He shot to popularity after starring in hit dramas like Survivor's Law, The Academy and Triumph in the Skies. He left TVB in 2010 after his contract ended and shifted the focus of his career to China.

Photos: PBE Media

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