The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.113)

TZU CHI 113 15 “It’s probably fate that brought us together. Upon learning that Yoke Pin is diagnosed with breast cancer at such a young age, I instinctively felt the urge to look out for her. After all, those who are ill yearn most for support and encouragement from family and friends when they feel lonely and insecure,” she shared. TanEnghas been activelyvolunteeringwith Tzu Chi for nearly 20 years and has accumulated more than 10 years of experience in conducting home visits. She assumed that caring for a cancer patient would be no different from attending to a care recipient, but her encounter with Yoke Pin proved otherwise. She was initially frustrated by Yoke Pin’s reserved and reticent disposition. For months on end, she was overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness as she felt ill-equipped to deal with Yoke Pin’s pessimistic tendencies and depressed state, not to mention her discouraging attempts at connecting with Yoke Pin through phone conversations. Nevertheless, rather than throwing in the towel, she never gave up onYoke Pin and showered her with love and patience as a mother would. However, she was well aware that the onus was on Yoke Pin to open up to those around her, or else no amount of consolation could free her from the dark pit of despair. She initiated a discussion with the leader of the Cancer Support Group support team, Kuan Mun Jen, and they unanimously decided to enlist the services of the counsellor of the Support Group, Mary Chuah Hooi Mei, to provide Yoke Pin with more effective psychological support. Tan Eng noticed improvements in Yoke Pin’s emotional well-being following professional intervention; for one, Yoke Pin wouldmanage a brief smile every once in awhile. It dawned upon Tan Eng that the methodological approach applied in conducting home visits varied significantly from the more rigorous demands of caring for a cancer patient, as the volunteers’ efforts have to be supplemented by the expertise of medical professionals. Furthermore, she would persuade Yoke Pin to take part in various activities to broaden her horizons. “I had yet to discover the types of activities Yoke Pin took interest in, so I would invite her to join me in various Tzu Chi engagements, including study group sessions, volunteer development classes, small group gatherings and visiting underprivileged families. Sometimes, she would decline our invitations, or refuse to allow us to fetch her from home and instead request that we pick her up at another designated venue,” said Tan Eng. After repeatedly declining Tan Eng’s initial invitations, Yoke Pin felt uneasy rejecting her kind gestures any longer. She credited Tan Eng and fellow members of the Support Group for their persistence in motivating her to pick herself up again and giving her the courage to move on. Living a meaningful life Tan Eng is grateful that Yoke Pin’s encouraging transformation reinforced her conviction in the significance of her work, spurring her on to continue extending care to cancer patients and their family members. “I’ve cared for familymemberswith cancer. My husband and older brother were stricken with lung cancer, and my uncle battled laryngeal cancer. They experienced mood swings from having to endure agonizing pain and insecurities over their uncertain fate,” she noted. TanEngherself hadweatheredadevastating chapter in life. In 2014, her younger sister, a CarryingOn with Cancer