In August, Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center (BTCSCC) celebrated its 1,000 patient in Taiwan. It is a milestone in the history of the foundation, which established the bank in October 1993. The event was celebrated by patients, family members and doctors at a gathering on August 13; they came to bear witness to the great love which has made the milestone possible. A total of 350,000 people have registered as donors and the bank is open to applicants from around the world.
Yang Kuo-Liang, director of BTCSCC, told the gathering: “It is an advanced hematopoietic stem cells transplant center. The center has offered its service to all Chinese people, including patients from Taiwan and China, and others in a total of 28 countries. In the medical field, we have a great report card to show.” The bone marrow recipients and their families thanked the 350,000 people who made the transplants possible by volunteering as donors. The transplant enabled the patients, who were suffering from leukemia, to be cured and to start a new life.
At the gathering, recipients looked back on their ordeal and the transformation of their life. One was Ms Zhuang Xin-hui, who was standing next to her doctor. She was newly wed and had a son one year old when she heard the terrible news that she had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She was shaken by the fear of an unknown illness; then it was the sense of distance from her young son. “I lost all my hair (from the treatment),” she said. “When my son came to visit me for the first time in the hospital, he couldn’t recognize me. He was afraid and tried to hide behind his father. It was the most heart-breaking thing for me.”
Another was Tang Xiao-qin, a student. He was diagnosed with the disease as a child and even a simple walk became very difficult. Tang said: “when I was five-years-old, I had aplastic anemia. I couldn’t exercise for long. This made me feel that exercising was an impossible dream. But, after I fully recovered, I can do anything just like everyone else.” Then there was the sister of a patient who recalled the pain of a family whose member suffers from the disease. “During that time, I used to look through the glass into the disinfection room at my sister,” she said. “My heart was aching.”
The operation has saved and transformed the lives of the recipient. Self-confidence has replaced sorrow; fear has given way to strength. Thanks to the procedure, they are walking toward a future full of hope and possibilities.
Note:
BTCSCC Monthly Report (2012/07/31)
Voluntary registries: 356,109
Patients requested for matching: 30,715
Bone Marrow and PBSC transplanted: 2,922 cases in 28 countries
Cord Blood transplanted: 66 cases in 11 countries
