The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.114).

2019 • 09 40 By Chio Kea Lee Translated by Lee Shee Yik Photographs by Lim Chee Yong ouching Life Story A surgical mishap robbed Rose Sulau Tugao of her ability to stand or walk, but not her fiercely independent spirit. She learnt to move around on all fours and started a yam farm with her able hands, exuding optimism with her head held high, like a rose eternally in full bloom. “M y name is Rose Sulau Tugao, but everyone calls me ‘Aunt Rose’ because I have a flower tattooed on my arm. I’m named after a flower too!” joked Aunt Rose as she introduced herself to Tzu Chi volunteers. Aunt Rose’s tattoo is symbolic of the indigenous culture of her native Kenyah tribe, an ethnic minority in Sarawak. The 59-year-old Christian married the love of her life in the prime of her youth and hoped for a simple life with her significant other in the coastal city of Miri. “Roses are charming, but they don’t remain at the height of their beauty for long – just like A Rose by Any Other Name how I fell from grace,” sighed Aunt Rose as she recounted her tragic turn later in life. Aunt Rose lives in a wooden squatter area populated by the indigenous community in the small town of Lutong, Miri. Her house stands out from the rest with the furniture and fittings all positioned on ground level – a domestic arrangement that might inconvenience the average person, but necessary for Aunt Rose to ensure unrestricted access around the house. In 2013, Aunt Rose sought medical treatment for chronic pain in her lower back due to fused vertebral joints. The doctor advised