The dramas of life and death that take place in a hospital are often very moving. There is the sorrow of death, and there is the happiness of recovery. Those patients who have lived through difficulties and hardships realize most how much life is to be valued. Through interviews, we extracted several touching stories from the stacks of records at Tzu Chi General Hospital.

Warmth in the Ward

Nurses Fight to Pay for Meal Tickets

The nurses in the No. 5 ward will never forget Uncle Orchid Island, the nickname of an old gentleman from Orchid Island, who came to Tzu Chi Hospital for an acute pain in his stomach. He was very poor. After the operation, he stayed in a two-bed room. His wife begged to have him moved to a five-bed room. She said, "We don't like this ward. It costs us NT$600 (about US$24) a day. We can't afford it."

We could see that their life on Orchid Island was not easy. Their son was a husky young man. We were told he was a fisherman. He had no money to buy nourishing food for his father. We seldom saw him eat anything. Uncle Orchid Island had no relatives in Hualien. His plane tickets had been paid for by friends and relatives in his hometown.

The nurses didn't say anything, but their eyes took all this in.

In the middle of the night, when the old woman was huddled up under her thin clothing, someone would put a comforter over her body. Before each meal, people around the ward could frequently hear someone calling out, "Uncle Orchid Island's meal ticket is already paid." After the nurses saw the old woman collect the leftover food from her husband's food tray, they began to buy an extra meal ticket for her each time. Fighting to buy meal tickets became a common scene at the nursing station.

Once they collected all the snacks in the nursing station and wrapped them in a parcel for the old woman. Ms. Tsai Huei-jung could never forget the content smile on that woman's face. She realized that nursing was more than a medical act. It should cover something else--giving affection to the patients and their families. She also thought of the great difference between Uncle Orchid Island, who agonized over being unable to get a vacancy in a five-bed room, and those who fought to have their own room.

Ms. Tsai thought of Uncle Orchid Island's son and the problem of dignity. When the nurses gave something to the old woman, they had to do it secretly to avoid hurting the young man's feelings and arousing the other patients' jealousy. Even giving is not an easy task.

Ms. Tsai also thought about how the medical facilities on the off- shore islands were so insufficient that the old man had to travel several hundred miles to Hualien to get treatment, and that living conditions on that island were so poor that the family even had difficulty feeding themselves.

A few days later, Uncle Orchid Island finally moved to a five-bed room. Social workers came to estimate how much of a subsidy to give him. After one week, he recovered without any infections or complications. He left the hospital and everybody was relieved.

Having heard the story about Uncle Orchid Island, I felt a little bit sad. I don't know how many such stories happen in the hospital. At the same time, hope rises within me, because there is indeed warmth in this world.

Life Is Invaluable

Premature Babies Grow Up Peacefully

Chia-ling is nine years old now. She was a premature baby, coming into the world with a weight of only 870 grams (a normal new-born baby weighs from 2,500 to 3,000 grams). However, with the efforts of the doctors, nurses and volunteers at Tzu Chi Hospital, a miracle of life was created.

In July 1987, Mrs. Wu delivered Chia-ling at home, far ahead of her due date. Mr. Wu took mother and daughter to Hualien City Hospital, the two still connected by the umbilical cord. The doctor there told Mr. Wu to take his wife and daughter to Tzu Chi General Hospital, because there were no facilities in Hualien City Hospital for premature babies.

Chia-ling was not only premature, but also extremely small. The incubator became her second home, and she was accompanied at all times by a respirator. However, she frequently stopped breathing. This kept the doctors and nurses busy and left them bewildered as to how to care for this tiny baby. Dr. Chen Juei-hsia of the Pediatric Department spent all her time and energy looking after the baby. Worried that the baby might forget to breathe, she ate and slept in the baby's room. The nurses had to look after the baby's jaundice and septicemia, and they fed her milk drop by drop through a straw. Chia-ling even received a blood transfusion at this young age. Five months later, the hospital sent her back to her mother. Her small hands and feet had grown a little and she weighed 2,700 grams.

The next year, Mrs. Wu gave birth to another premature baby. It was a boy named Ching-hua, who weighed only 800 grams, even lighter than his sister .

This time both Mr. and Mrs. Wu were very worried: should they save him or abandon him? Saving him might be a heavy burden for a family that was not well-to-do. But abandoning him would break their hearts. The doctor suggested that since the baby had significant developmental problems which might affect the development of his body and mind, it would be better not to try to save him.

Mr. Wu saw that his baby's breath was getting weaker and weaker and his skin was starting to discolor from lack of oxygen. He couldn't stand this sight, so he made a phone call to Tzu Chi Hospital. An ambulance quickly arrived with Dr. Chen Juei-hsia and three nurses inside. The decision was made to keep Ching-hua in this world.

As to the expenses, Tzu Chi Hospital subsidized one third of the cost, with the balance to be paid in installments.

"Except for bad eyesight, they are no different from normal children," Mr. and Mrs. Wu said in chorus.

Chia-ling is now in fourth grade. She is very active and likes to read books, especially story books. She says the story she likes best is "Snow White." She also likes to play on the swings and the seesaw. Every day she lives like a happy angel. When I told her I was from Ilan, she immediately took out a large textbook, trying to locate my hometown on a map of Taiwan. Her curiosity and bright appearance were very pleasing.

Ching-hua is not as active as Chia-ling. He helps his mother with the household chores. He said when he grows up, he wants to be a professional resources recycler like his father, who is a hero in his eyes. The sister and brother do quarrel once in a while, but mostly they are happy, cheerful children. When I saw them, I couldn't help wondering how we measure the value of life.

On the Verge of Death

Experience Saves a Life

This is a true story that happened in 1986 in Hualien, where the death toll from car accidents was rated the highest in Taiwan.

Hsu Shu-chien was in a coma when she arrived at the emergency room. It was the fourth day after Tzu Chi Hospital opened. Since the computerized tomography scanner had not yet been set up, the surgeon could not diagnose the exact location of her injury. That night, Shu-chien's condition deteriorated. Her pupils were dilated and she was about to die.

From his experience, Dr. Tsai Juei-chang, a specialist in neurotrauma, made the judgment that the bleeding was on the right side of her head. With the consent of her family, she was sent to the operation room. Dr. Tsai cut her head open and saw a blood clot. He removed it, stopped the bleeding and finished the operation. The next day Shu-chien's situation was much better. However, in the evening, it again worsened. Dr. Tsai was in and out of the ICU again and again. Shu-chien's family members were in a panic. The volunteers around them were also worried, wondering whether there was any hope.

Without the help of a machine, Dr. Tsai reckoned that the left side of the cranium had also been injured. So Shu-chien was sent back to the operation room again. Inside the operation room, everybody held their breath. When he cut her head open, Dr. Tsai saw another blood clot. He took a deep breath and said, "Ha! She is savable." While he was removing the blood clot, he murmured, "Buddha bless you! Buddha bless you!" Shu- chien finally emerged from the jaws of death.

Shu-chien was 16 at that time. Now she has completed junior college and is working in Taipei.

Mrs. Hsu, Shu-chien's mother, recalled that everyone at the hospital was very kind to them. Master Cheng Yen and the volunteers went to see her daughter every day. During the year that Shu-chien did not go to school, she was a frequent visitor to the Abode of Still Thoughts.

Mrs. Shu loves Shu-chien all the more because she survived such a serious accident. "Shu-chien is like a boy. She can't do any sewing, but she can replace a bulb or repair a socket. Anyway, it's very good that you saved her."

Ten years ago, the eastern part of Taiwan was very short of medical facilities and physicians. Anyone who had a brain injury had to be sent to Taipei or wait for an unknown destiny.

In December 1986, Tzu Chi Hospital set up the computerized tomography scanner (CAT scan). With the efforts of the surgeons and the help of the machine, many patients with brain injuries have been saved. The inhabitants in the eastern part of Taiwan now have more protection for their well-being.

Fighting Cancer Hand in Hand

Accompanying a Cancer Patient Through the Dark Period

Liu Shou-yi's fight with cancer began on May 21, 1991, when Liu, who had always been careful about his health, had difficulty in swallowing food. He registered in the otolaryngology department of the Government Employee Insurance Outpatient Clinic. After an examination, the physician (who happened to be a doctor in Tzu Chi Hospital) suggested that he see another doctor in the internal medicine department. Although it was almost time to go home for the day, Dr. Hsieh Ming-chun (who also worked in Tzu Chi Hospital) examined Liu very patiently. He suggested that he go to Tzu Chi Hospital to have a detailed examination.

Two days later, Liu went to Tzu Chi Hospital. Dr. Hsieh first performed a gastroendoscopy on him, but he saw nothing wrong. Then he lifted the gastroscope twice and found a small erosive inflammation at the end of the esophagus. A biopsy was immediately performed.

The report came back a few days later. A nurse called Liu and asked him to come back to the hospital right away to have another examination. "When I arrived at the hospital, I was surprised that those dutiful doctors and nurses had arranged everything, including a bed." Liu told this author to communicate how touched he was at the thoughtfulness and efficiency of the doctors and nurses.

Unfortunately, it turned out that Liu had contracted cancer of the esophagus, which frightened everyone. Nevertheless, he had full confidence in the doctors and cooperated with his treatment. He was moved immediately to an operation room, where surgery was performed to remove the tumor. It had been only three weeks since Liu's first examination at the outpatient clinic. Following the operation, Liu went through chemotherapy, intensive treatment and periodical check-ups. He never missed an appointment. Five years later, on June 12, 1996, Liu marked the end of the observation period. Hand in hand with the doctors, he had conquered the devil of sickness.

Recalling the struggle against death, Liu felt grateful to the doctors and nurses in Tzu Chi Hospital. They had cared about him and had urged him to undergo further examinations when they found something abnormal. They studied his case carefully and patiently and made the best arrangements for him. After the operation, they provided home care for him with great patience and traced his progress for five years so that he could finally put cancer behind him.