What's the chance of contracting leukemia? What's the percentage of leukemia patients well enough to receive a bone marrow transplant? How many people out of Taiwan's population of 23 million can be selected as suitable donors and are willing to donate their marrow? There's only a slim chance of finding a compatible marrow donor... What I gave to the recipient was merely some bone marrow with a density of 4.4 percent, but what he gave to me in return was great honor and an unforgettable experience that money cannot buy.

--Li Chun-tien, construction technician

Early in the morning of May 17, 2000, a nurse wheeled a young man down a seemingly endless corridor. Passersby stared at him, wondering what on earth was wrong with this apparently healthy, strong young man.

Finally, they arrived at an operating room where the air felt freezing. Lying on the operating table, nervous, he asked no questions. "Time to get started?" he wondered.

Everything around him looked surreal. His sense of helplessness and uncertainty about what was to happen next made him feel apprehensive. Fortunately, it was not long before he was anesthetized and slipped into a deep sleep.

A young marrow donor

"Well, it was kind of weird having to sit in a wheelchair when you really can walk," recalls that apprehensive young man, Li Chun-tien, the 274th Tzu Chi marrow donor. His vivid narrative took us back four years, when the operation took place. We could sense the loneliness he felt through the whole affair.

He was in his early twenties and, as is often the case, assumed that he could handle everything alone. He thought that marrow donation was no big deal and that he could naturally deal with it without any help from his family. Not until he had to face the reality of the whole situation did he feel uneasy.

"I came to realize that I would feel more relaxed with my family members or friends around," he admitted. Even now, he still feels some anxiety from that time. He is nonetheless happy that he did not back out at the last moment.

Chun-tien was only 17 when he took the first blood test needed for the procedure. Knowing little more than that he could help others by donating his marrow, he went with his classmates to do the test. He said, "When I gave my blood, I had the feeling that I would be lucky enough to be a suitable donor. It was just like winning a lottery, a once in a lifetime chance."

Four years later, he graduated from college and went into the army. One day when he was on leave, he received a call from Tzu Chi. When he heard that he had passed the initial matching test, he uttered disbelievingly, "Are you serious?"

Family companionship

His decision to donate his bone marrow was immediately supported by his father. Mr. Li said casually, "I supported him wholeheartedly because a chance to save a life is hard to come by."

The family has always believed in helping others whenever possible without asking for anything in return. Still, his father was worried whether this donation would bring any complications. However, he reminded himself of an advertising campaign he had seen on TV which said, "By donating your bone marrow, you can save a leukemia patient's life without bringing harm to yourself."

Mr. Li's attitude fortunately affected the rest of the family. Luo Chien-chih, a Tzu Chi volunteer who has helped many donors in the past, mentioned that it is often difficult to get the whole family to agree to the donation. [In Taiwan, the entire family must agree to a family member's donation of organs or body.] "I have never met a family that reached a consensus so readily."

Soon thereafter it was time for Chun-tien to have his second blood test. Those involved agreed that it had to be a day when he was on leave, because he was still in the army at that time. Chien-chih remembers that Chun-tien turned down her offer to pick him up and instead insisted on going to the hospital by himself. She said, "Honestly, I was worried if he would come as promised."

He did indeed come that day, and he even brought his parents, siblings and brother-in-law. Chien-chih remarked, "It was most unusual compared to previous cases I've dealt with. I was extremely moved and happy that they were so willing to participate."

"I felt like a prince!"

The support from Chun-tien's family made him resolute in his commitment to donate his marrow. However, an image that kept reeling in his mind was enough to keep him anxious. Watching the news one Mother's Day, as he recalled, there was a report about someone who needed to fly from Chiayi to Hualien for the same procedure. Typically when a donor is called in by a hospital, he is needed immediately, and so the donor rushed off to the airport at a minute's notice. However, all flights had already been fully booked. Chun-tien said, "When a vacancy for a standby passenger came up, everyone in line wanted to grab that seat, since no one knew when another chance might come up. I saw a Tzu Chi volunteer earnestly pleading with other passengers to let a marrow donor take the seat." This touching scene was deeply etched in Chun-tien's mind. He swore that no Tzu Chi member would ever have to beg him for anything, whether it was to give up a seat or donate his marrow.

He was even more impressed with the devotion of the Tzu Chi volunteers in the post-operation phase. Right after the operation to extract his marrow, he felt quite nauseous from the effects of the anesthesia. "When I felt like throwing up, the volunteers immediately reached out their hands to receive it." Stunned and touched by their kind gesture, he did not vomit until they left.

As he was too weak after the operation to feed himself, the volunteers helped feed him. It was embarrassing to trouble other people to feed him, he admitted, but the warmth they gave him reduced his discomfort. He took it as a blessing to be pampered and cared for in such a manner. He laughed and said, "So when people asked me how I felt through the whole thing, I would answer that I felt like a prince."

A record-holder

Actually, in the beginning, the whole thing did not work out as smoothly as expected. The donation schedule was put off three times due to the recipient's poor condition, which made Chun-tien worried and fretful. He said, "I was not as well as indicated by my physical checkup at that time, but I couldn't go home to rest up since I was still in the army. Each delay made me agitated and hesitant."

Therefore, all he could do was to eat and exercise more and maintain a regular routine. Despite some obstacles, he finally fulfilled his wish to be a donor six months later. He gave credit to all the people who had supported him, including his commanding officer.

At that time, Chun-tien was probably the first serviceman in the alternative military to apply for leave to donate his bone marrow. Without any precedent to follow, his commanding officer even had to petition the Ministry of Interior Affairs for permission to allow him this privilege. Shortly afterwards, the conscription administration amended their bylaws. Chun-tien could then apply for leave, an honorable one at that, to go donate his marrow.

After the marrow donation procedure, donors can usually enjoy nutritious meals prepared by Tzu Chi volunteers after donations. However, Chun-tien had no such benefit because he needed to go right back to his army unit. However, some volunteers visited Chun-tien's family. Impressed with their passion and enthusiasm, his father chortled, "They brought us such a huge watermelon that we couldn't finish it in a week."

Chun-tien mentioned another thing he was proud of: his stem cell density was the highest ever recorded. Most donors' stem cell density is about 2 percent, and the previous record was 2.8 percent. His reached an astounding 4.4 percent. He said cheerfully, "Dr. Li Cheng-tao told me that the survival probability for my recipient would be very high."

As a rule, donors and recipients have to remain anonymous for a period of one year after the donation, so Chun-tien knew nothing about the recipient. Nonetheless he cared about the recipient very much.

Not until one year later, when he received a call from the bone marrow registry, did he ask about the recipient's condition. He said, "They didn't tell me much, but it was a great relief to know that he was still alive." It seemed to him at that moment that the "mission" was finally accomplished.

It is a blessing to give

"Without Tzu Chi's commitment to helping leukemia patients, I could never have had this chance to save someone, even though that person could be just a hand's reach away," said Chun-tien.

He humbly attributed all the credit to Master Cheng Yen. He still remembers how he felt when he was confirmed as a compatible donor. His strong conviction that he was the only one in the world capable of saving that particular patient urged him to move forward, without even considering if the donation would cause any pain or unfavorable side effects.

"As a frequent blood donor, I assumed that the needles used on marrow donors were much the same but a little bit bigger. Later I found out that the needles were far bigger than I had expected," he laughed. "There's only a slim chance of finding a compatible bone marrow donor. It happens only once in a blue moon! Just think about the possibilities. What is the chance of contracting leukemia? What is the percentage of leukemia patients well enough to receive a bone marrow transplant? How many people out of Taiwan's population of 23 million can be selected as compatible donors and are willing to donate their marrow? One probability bound together with another made my donation a reality."

Chun-tien quoted a Buddhist saying: "Saving a life is worth more than building a seven-story pagoda." He admitted that he did not know exactly what a pagoda was, but that the quote "implies that people who save others can get some blessings in return. If that's true, then I should be grateful to the recipient of my marrow, since it was he who offered me this fortune." Then he came up with his own metaphor: "Donating bone marrow is, in a sense, to have insurance that money cannot buy." How so? Because no one can be healthy forever or all the time, Chun-tien explained. "This time he needed you, but who knows, maybe next time you will need him."

Chun-tien used to be a headache for his parents. They never had high expectations of him, only that he would not go astray. As to his good deeds, his father was so pleased. Mr. Li said, "I believe it is human nature to reach out and help someone in need when you can."

Regarding this, Chun-tien had something to tell the recipient: "If you should want to ask, ask what we have given to each other. I believe it is a prearranged fate that has brought us together, even if it seems like chance. Be brave, and lead a healthy and happy life."

When asked what he meant, Chun-tien smiled and said, "What I gave to him was some bone marrow with a density of 4.4 percent." And then, with a more serious look, he added, "But what he gave me was a rare honor and an unrivalled, once-in-a-lifetime experience that no amount of money can buy."