The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.108)

2019 • 03 52 umanistic Medicine Adding Human Touch toMedical Care A 34-year-old patient from Taitung walked into my clinic with a pure smile and told me the purpose of his visit. He looked unfamiliar, but his name sounded familiar. With some hints from him, I managed to recall who he was – an “old patient” of mine. We first met in Hualien, and had walked a profound journey together. And now, with us meeting again in Taichung, memories of the yesteryears came flooding back. Turning back time to 26 years ago, he was 8 years old, while I was in my fourth year of service at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital. He had come to me to seek treatment for his immobile upper limbs, a result of a damaged brachial plexus (which is vital for the motor and sensory functions of the upper limbs), following a resection surgery for his neurofibroma. The surgery was a difficult one, not only due to the complexity of the brachial plexus structure, but also the severity of the injury where the two ends of the severed nerves could not be reconnected without a nerve grafting. Thus, with the help of an operating microscope, I took a segment of non-deficit healthy nerve from his leg, and completed the grafting procedure. I was even happier than him when I saw him recovering his upper limb functions post-surgery. Even until today, the surgery is considered one with a high level of difficulty, not tomention back then at rural Hualien. I could Things changed in the past 30 years, including my field of medical services and the patients’ physical appearances. But what remains unchanged is my simple intention to safeguard patients and their faith towards Tzu Chi’s medical care. Narrated by Chien Sou-Hsin Written by Cai Ming Xian & Liao Yi Jun Translated by Chang Yii Yong not imagine how much agony and hardship the boy would have to suffer in his future life’s journey, if it was not for our encounter. His upper limbs that are still functioning properly are no doubt a direct recognition of a doctor’s skills, but there is a more touching story in this. Faith arises from the care received “You were only 8 years old then. How would you still remember me after a lapse of 26 years?” I was curious, but his answer was definite. He remembered vividly the care and companionship he had received at Tzu Chi Hospital over a long period of time, and the good bonding between us. The genuine care had led to his faith in us, and that was why he made this trip. He told me that a newly grown tumour was gradually compressing his cervical nerves, and his doctor suggested surgery. However, he felt uneasy and thus decided to travel across half of Taiwan to seek a second opinion from his former attending doctor. After consultation and evaluation by the neurosurgical team, he chose to receive treatment at Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital, and has been recovering very well after the surgery. Thanks to a good doctor-patient relationship, a seed of faith was planted in the patient’s heart and became his source of hope and support decades later, while at the same