Former Assemblywoman Fiona Ma ascended to the position of Speaker pro Tempore during her six years in the California legislature.
It was near the start of her first term when she attended a Hep b Awareness Rally as part of her job as an Assemblywoman. According to a story in the Contra Costa Times, a doctor pulled her aside and informed her she suffered from Chronic Hepatitis B.
She learned that one out of four people diagnosed with Hep B go on to have liver cancer. She immediately got tested and urged her mother to do the same. That was a good thing. Her mother’s liver cancer was detected at an early stage and today she is fine.
Today Ma remains active in promoting Hep B awareness. She appeared at a rally in Palo Alto Sunday.
One in 12 people with Hepatitis B are Asian American.
