Shirley was born and raised in Hong Kong. She graduated from Cornell University with a BSc and MEng in electrical engineering . She worked as a semiconductor engineer in Hong Kong and Phoenix, Arizona. Semi-retired, she is new to writing. She has written short essays and is now working on her first book, the story of an immigrant family navigating a cancer diagnosis, cultural differences, family and career expectations. The patient was an extraordinary mother who lived through two wars, two migrations and many hardships, and the caregiver was the daughter who grew up under very different circumstances yet facing similar challenges. The two loved and took care of each other despite carrying secrets of their own.