The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.110)

Touching Lives with Unconditional Love Suffering is inevitable in life and comes in all forms; becoming paralysed, bedridden or stricken with a chronic illness is among its most devastating manifestations. Leong Teik Hong has been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a rare condition affecting the spine, leaving him bedridden for 27 years to date. His frail, bony frame projects a picture of helplessness as he battles various other afflictions threatening to wear down his very being. Lim Yoke Sim, then only a child of 7, fell on her bottom in a curious case of sudden weakness in her legs, never to stand up again. She was declared paralysed by the doctor and was confined to life in a wheelchair. Growing up, she had endured 21 surgeries and countless hospital stays in an effort to correct her curved spine. Chong Ngoi Lee was fortunate enough to be the lone survivor of two road accidents in his youth, but the second one proved a life-changing encounter: he sustained a permanent injury to his spinal cord and became paralysed from the waist down. He later suffered from kidney failure, a diagnosis that marked the start of a lifelong reliance on dialysis treatments. The lives of Teik Hong, Yoke Sim and Ngoi Lee might have unfolded like a tragedy, yet these three plucky, resilient individuals are far from admitting defeat to the trials and tribulations standing in their way. Their insightful outlook on life provides us with food for thought on whether a life filled with suffering is still worth living. Despite having to grit their teeth through invasive medical procedures and the agony of losing the ability to move freely, they remain optimistic and demonstrate an unyielding will to live, sustained by the loving care and support of family, friends andTzu Chi volunteers. We are powerless against unfortunate circumstances, but the unconditional love of our loved ones elevates us from the harrowing depths of pain and suffering and empowers us with the strength to soldier on in life, assuring us that we will never be forsaken even in the toughest of times. TZU CHI 110 05