An elderly man in China named Zhang Wang Han is making headlines after sharing a touching experience he had with late Hong Kong-born singer Coco Lee who died on Wednesday.
In a recent interview with Chinese media, Zhang, 83, spoke fondly of Lee and teared up while expressing gratitude towards the singer for helping him when he was in need.
According to Guang Ming Daily, Lee was in Changsha for the filming of singing competition show I Am A Singer in 2016, when she learned of an elderly man who was selling oranges by the streets in the icy winter.
Hoping to help the man, Lee – who was unable to personally purchase the oranges – asked her mother and sister to buy his remaining stock of oranges, which weighed up to around 100kg, on her behalf.
She also gave the man 2,000 yuan (RM1,300) and bought him and his family four boxes of daily necessities and two cotton-padded coats.
In a Weibo post, Lee said she had distributed the oranges she bought to her crew members on the set of I Am A Singer.
But she didn’t stop there.
When Lee caught wind that there were over 120,000kg of oranges in Zhang’s village, she helped spread the word and sure enough, the oranges began selling fast.
Zhang told the media this greatly helped him and his villages who had “no other source of income”.
“I remember her kindness and am very thankful to her,” he said.
Lee, who was 48, attempted to take her own life on July 2 following several years of depression. She was rushed to a hospital but passed away three days later.
Many stars including Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh, Jackie Chan and Wang Leehom have paid tribute to Lee on social media.
Meanwhile, her older sisters, Nancy and Carol, said in a statement on Instagram that they were "thankful to God for giving us such a kind angel".
The singer's estranged husband Bruce Rockowitz also published an obituary where he called Lee a beloved wife.
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