The World Of Tzu Chi December 2019 (Vol.117)

TZU CHI 117 41 in a sleeveless batik dress revealing needle marks and surgical dressings on her arms – telling indicators of years of dialysis treatments. Every trip to the dialysis centre is a struggle for Ah Ngah, who has to muster all her strength to trudge up and down the stairs leading to her dwelling on the upper floor of a shophouse in Klang.An air of desolation surrounded her forlorn figure, shadowed by the darkness as she shuffled towards the dimly-lit stairwell. Touching lives with empathy Kidney patients who fail to find matching donors are bound to a lifetime of dialysis treatments. Being diagnosed with kidney failure had caused a significant burden to Ah Ngah, as she was unable to afford the prohibitive costs of long-term dialysis treatment without any next of kin to support her financially. Fortunately, she was referred to Tzu Chi for assistance whilst seeking treatment at a hospital. Ah Ngah was initially guarded towards the volunteers who visited her at home, but started to warmup to them after several visits. She eventually accepted Tzu Chi’s offer to subsidize her dialysis sessions, as well as the volunteers’ love and care. “I’ve given up on my relationships with others as I’ve had my heart broken by past acquaintances. I have difficulties trusting others; I wonder if my mistrust of others is justifiable. Ng Chong Sie, a senior volunteer, visited me twice at the ward when I was previously hospitalized. I was reassured by her sincerity from the thoughtful gesture and convinced myself to set aside my inhibitions and embrace her instead of avoiding her,” confessedAh Ngah, who was moved by the genuine and persistent efforts of the volunteers to reach out to her. She began letting her guard down and opened up to the volunteers, with whom she gradually formed a close relationship. Volunteers Lee Hoon Cheng and Yuen Pong Tai were strolling down the aisles at the supermarket, browsing the shelves stocked with myriad brands of laundry detergent. They scrutinized the packaging one by one and contacted Ah Ngah to ascertain her preferred brand of detergent. Next, the pair adjourned to a textile store nearby to purchase some fabric to be sewn into a pair of pillowcases for Ah Ngah. They took great care in choosing the material, discussing possible colour and pattern combinations that would suit Ah Ngah’s taste. “Ah Ngah used to keep her distance from us. We only managed to obtain her particulars after visiting her twice at the hospital. She is now more at ease with us,” recalled Hoon Cheng with a chuckle. “She was cold towards us,” echoed Pong Tai. “But fortunately we could count on Hoon Cheng to keep a lookout for Ah Ngah as she lives nearby.” The volunteers eventually found their way to Ah Ngah’s heart and earned her trust. Hoon Cheng paused before a nondescript shoplot and unlocked the door grille guarding the stairway leading to Ah Ngah’s lodgings on the upper floor. The stairwell was shrouded in darkness and looked unsafe, yet the volunteers were undeterred from venturing ahead as they have done for the past five years, driven by a sense of obligation to extend a helping hand to those who are confined by less fortunate circumstances. “We’re here!” hollered Hoon Cheng as she opened the door to Ah Ngah’s rented quarters with an effortless turn of the doorknob. Ah Ngah resides in one of the three rooms in the unit, the remaining of which are occupied by two other tenants. The inhabitants share a foldable desk and a shelf for sundry items in theminimally furnished living space. Hoon Cheng stepped forward