"The Half of Me Becoming" by Hlee Kue

Today on Still I Rise I’m joined by Hlee Kue— a woman whose story is both heartbreaking and breathtaking. For years she lived by the mantra ‘Be strong all the time. Be a leader and lead, and others will follow.’ It became her armor as she showed up, smiling and producing, even through unimaginable loss.

First came the death of her younger brother — one of her anchors — and before that wound could close, came another blow: a breast cancer diagnosis delivered not in an office, but in a voicemail. In an instant, every role she once held — caregiver, leader, mentor — felt stripped away, leaving only survival.

But in the blackness, she heard a whisper: You are still here. And slowly, wing by wing, tear by tear, she began to rise again. Today, Hlee hovers between two worlds — one where her brother’s laughter still lives and this one, quieter without him. She carries her scars like wings stitched with fire and sky, red and blue, strength and sorrow.

Her story is a living reminder that people carry invisible battles, that you don’t have to be whole to be holy, and that even when grief and illness arrive back-to-back, you can still rise. You’re about to hear from a woman who embodies resilience, vulnerability, and light — and I know her words will stay with you.