By
Li-Hsian Pong
The Tzu Chi Northern
California Chapter had frequently held blood sample collections
for the purpose of bone marrow donations. Collection sessions
have enjoyed tremendous popularity, especially when there
are prevailing news reports on blood cancer patients. Sister
Tang was a relative of a now-deceased patient, cared for under
the Tzu Chi Individual Case Division. After recovering from
the sadness of the loss of her sibling, she joined Tzu Chi
as a regular volunteer in serving the public.
In 1990, Sister Tang and her husband came
to the US to pursue graduate studies. Around four or five
years ago, they moved to Northern California for her husband's
new job. Shortly after moving, her brother, who worked at
Taipei Veterans General Hospital, was assigned to the hospital
at San Francisco State University to study new medical technology
for liver transplant. Because the study would take a whole
year, he brought his whole family with him and stayed with
Sister Tang. The brother and sister had always been close
since their childhood, and Sister Tang was very excited to
have the opportunity to spend time with her brother's family.
"We were the only children in our family," Sister
Tang recalled, "I was close to my brother when I was
young. I used to go to his room and chat with him after school."
Two weeks after he came to the US, Dr. Tang
felt something unusual about his health. In the beginning,
he was feeling tired all the time. Then he started finding
bruises on his body without any reason. With his experience
as a doctor, he knew something was wrong. He asked the hospital
to perform a blood test on him. The test results came out
abnormal - he was diagnosed to have acute blood disorder.
The hospital performed not only chemotherapy on him but also
a self-body bone marrow transplant, during which the marrow
extracted from his body was isolated and implanted back into
the body. It seemed like such a complicated and unusual procedure
to Sister Tang that she became very disturbed and worried.
At that moment, "Tzu Chi" flashed into her mind.
When she was in Taiwan, she heard about Tzu Chi Foundation
and how the organization had aggressively developed a bone
marrow database for blood cancer patients. In her mind, bone
marrow donation was synonymous with Tzu Chi.
Although her brother did not require bone
marrow matching at that time, she thought nevertheless with
Tzu Chi's promotion of bone marrow donation, they would have
more detailed medical information to help her better understand
her brother's condition and therefore better evaluate the
different procedures for his treatment. With this in mind,
Sister Tang called the Tzu Chi Northern California Chapter
for assistance. Sister Gui-Jen Liao from the Individual Case
Division responded immediately. Followed by the constant care
from Brother Wei-Chung Lin and Sister Min-Ling Hsieh, Dr.
Chien of the Medical Division also called her regularly to
check on her brother's conditions, his treatment progress
and to update this information with the hospital as well.
The brothers and sisters of Tzu Chi Northern California Chapter
were not only kind enough to drive Sister Tang back and forth
to and from the hospital, they were also helping her take
care of matters encountered in the hospital and assist her
in negotiations with the insurance company.
"Due to this sudden illness, the medical
insurance company my brother joined after his arrival in the
US suspected that he was sick before he had signed up. As
a result, the company was reluctant to pay for the hospital
expenses," said Sister Tang. "I had never dealt
with this type of affair before. Sisters and brothers carefully
helped us deal with the hospital and the insurance company."
Dr. Tang's condition was getting serious
and news of his illness could no longer be concealed from
their parents. Their parents flew to US in haste when they
heard about what happened. They were stressed and depressed
over the drastic incidence that had transformed their healthy
son into a patient in a foreign hospital bed within only a
few months. Sister Tang did not know how to comfort her parents.
All she could do was to shed tears along with them. "At
that time 'Grandma' and Brother Wei-Chung Tsao came to visit
my parents, to just be by their side, and to comfort them,"
said Sister Tang, "Tzu Chi volunteers were always there,
not only to help, but also to endure this most difficult of
times alongside with my parents. In this sorrowful moment,
they provided the support my parents needed to calmly face
the obstacles that were in front of them."
After several sessions of chemotherapy,
Dr. Tang's condition had slightly improved. He decided to
go back to Taiwan with his family and parents. Tzu Chi volunteers
worried if he could stand the fatigue of such a long flight,
so they upgraded his ticket from economy to business class,
hoping the more comfortable seat would help to alleviate some
of his distress during the trip. "Before my brother left
for Taiwan, he brought presents for the [Northern California]
Chapter as a token of gratitude," described Sister Tang,
"But Tzu Chi volunteers refused to accept them."
In the end, the family decided to make a donation to Tzu Chi
to express their thanks and support for Tzu Chi's mission.
At the time, Sister Tang, like many people
who knew about Tzu Chi only at the surface level, could not
believe that so many people would devote themselves to helping
others in such a selfless and altruistic manner, especially
in our materialistic society. As she witnessed the volunteers
quietly perform their good deeds, Sister Tang asked herself,
"Can I ever be like them?" After her brother went
back to Taiwan, Sister Tang kept in touch with Tzu Chi and
sometimes went to the Northern California Chapter. It was
only natural that she eventually joined Tzu Chi as a volunteer.
Half a year later, Dr. Tang got infected
and became sick again. The hospital had to perform a stem
cell transplant operation. The operation, similar to the bone
marrow transplant, required a matched donor, where family
members tend to be more likely matches. Again with the help
of Tzu Chi Medical Division, Sister Tang succeeded in sending
her blood sample back to Taiwan and received confirmation
of her qualification as a donor. She immediately rushed back
to Taiwan for the operation.
After the stem cell operation, Sister Tang was having a difficult
time due to her weak condition and often felt like vomiting.
"It's nothing compared to what my brother is going through
with his illness," Sister Tang said in a sad tone.
During that period, Sister Tang traveled
tirelessly between Taiwan and the US for her brother's illness.
Despite their endless efforts, however, the doctors were not
able to save the life of Dr. Tang. He passed away in 2000.
After holding her brother's funeral and coming back to the
US, Sister Tang dwelled in great pain over her brother's death.
Her volunteer service at the chapter was the main thing that
kept her going. She actively involved herself to the Individual
Case Division and other forms of community service.
With her experience, she can relate to and
understand the feelings of others confronting abrupt and unforeseen
misfortunes. She recognizes the important role of a timely
helping hand and caring words. An introvert by nature, Sister
Tang said, "I used to have the love and care but not
the actions to make a difference." Now that she has Tzu
Chi volunteers to look up to, she is becoming more and more
involved with the Tzu Chi missions under this great love environment.
Because of her brother, Sister Tang came
into the world of Tzu Chi, and as a volunteer, she has witnessed
the life experiences of many people. Besides devoting herself
as a volunteer, she also encourages her daughter to take an
active approach and care for the people around her. Erica,
who was just nine years old then, was just as enthusiastic
as her mother. She took part in numerous school organizations
and was responsible for fundraising for underprivileged students
of Liberia in North Africa. She was the only student in the
school heading the project. Sister Tang, who is a member of
the Tzu Chi Commissioner Reserve, is appreciative of her understanding
husband, who has been by her side all these years and is ever
so supportive of her pursuit for the meaningful life she believes
in.
