The world of Tzu Chi January 2020 (Vol.118)

2020 • 01 40 legs a scorched mass of flesh, panicking, “I’ve doused myself with running water and changed into clean clothes, but I still feel a burning sensation. What should I do?” Sau Yoke fainted as soon as she arrived at the emergency ward. Her injuries showed no signs of healing after a week, prompting the doctor to advise her family to prepare themselves for the final farewell. Yet, her family was determined to find a medical team willing to lead her to recovery. During her stay at the hospital, Sau Yoke had to rely on the medical staff to change her dressings, administer medication and assist her while bathing. She was also susceptible to slipping into critical lapses when her respiratory functions had to be supported by a breathing machine. Being confined to the hospital bed as an invalid overwhelmed her with a harrowing sense of helplessness. She even longed to be liberated from the agonizing pain and suffering by ending her life prematurely, but at the same time an epiphany arose within her: she pledged to dedicate herself to charitable deeds if she were to survive this ordeal. Sau Yoke underwent seven major skin grafting surgeries throughout her two- month stay at the hospital, each involving the excruciating procedure of transplanting skin from her back that had been left intact to replace the layer of damaged skin. The pain she had to endurewas unimaginable.After being discharged from the hospital, the limitations of being bound to a wheelchair crushed Sau Yoke’s resilient spirit and nearly plunged her into depression. Her son installed Da Ai TV at home to ease her boredom and introduce her to the Dharma. Bouncing back stronger Sau Yoke gained knowledge on the concept of karma by tuning in to Da Ai TV to listen to Master Cheng Yen’s Dharma lectures. She also found solace in programmes featuring stories of individuals who live with disabilities yet are self-reliant and even capable of participating in recycling work. She reflected on her predicament and realized that there was no reason to give up on herself; she had suffered severe burns, but her limbs were still functioning. “The programmes on Da Ai TV are educational and restored my hope in life,” she enthused. Since then, Sau Yoke had been focusing her efforts on rehabilitative exercises and eventually regained the ability to stand on her own feet. Her son advised her to surrender her vegetable stall business and recuperate at home instead out of sympathy for the extensive injuries she had sustained. Chooi Fong learnt of Sau Yoke’s plight from her son and would regularly invite her to participate in various Tzu Chi’s activities. “Sau Yoke is exemplary in her devotion to her family and her unconditional dedication to Tzu Chi,” remarked Chooi Fong on Sau Yoke’s character. From sorting recyclables to cleaning duties, Sau Yoke was quick to adapt to any task – except navigating social media applications on her smartphone. “I was averse to using smartphones after observing my son perpetually glued to his phone even during mealtimes, but I’ve cast my reservations aside and embraced the smartphone in order to receive timely notifications of Tzu Chi’s activities, besides sparing Sister Chooi Fong the trouble of having to contact me with updates of any upcoming events,” she explained. Sau Yoke has managed to familiarize herself with the functions of the smartphone with Chooi Fong’s patient guidance and is now an adept user. eople