The world of Tzu Chi July 2020 (Vol.124)

2020 • 07 54 umanistic Medicine Translated by Ong Mooi Lin Clear Skies Ahead in Battambang “T winkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are; up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky…” Strains of the familiar nursery rhyme echoed from the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) consultation room in the Battambang Referral Hospital during our fourth medical outreach mission in Cambodia, as the medical team and several volunteers tried to comfort our young patient Phon Kanon. The mission lasted three days commencing November 1, 2019. Little Kanon had been experiencing facial paralysis for the past few months, yet his father failed to notice anything amiss, except that his face looked stiff and his eyes appeared strangely different than usual. Hewas eventually diagnosed with facial paralysis and was prescribed acupuncture treatment, during which he started wailing. No amount of sweets and words of consolation could alleviate his fear. As Kanon defiantly resisted treatment, an idea struck me: I requested the students from Lianhua Chinese School to lead a rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”. The young volunteers reassured him in the local language: “It won’t hurt. All you’ll feel is the sensation of a mosquito bite.” Following that, I was finally able to administer the acupuncture treatment. These young volunteers set Kanon’s mind at ease with their uplifting voices, giving him the strength to muster courage and confidence to quell his fear. Their pure-hearted gesture warmed the hearts of many. Kanon’s father sobbed quietly in a corner, expressing his appreciation for the Tzu Chi All traces of fatigue dissipated and my heart was filled with Dharma joy upon realizing that we are capable of touching the lives of others. volunteers who were willing to cure his son despite meeting him for the first time. Moments like this moved me beyond words; I could only respond to Kanon’s father with a gentle pat on his shoulder while affirming, “Don’t worry. We’re family.” All traces of fatigue dissipated and my heart was filled with Dharma joy upon realizing that we are capable of touching the lives of others. Kanon returned for his acupuncture session the following afternoon. This time around, he shed nary a tear and bravely endured the entire procedurewithassuredconfidence.By then, about 70 to 80 percent of his facial nerves and muscles had been restored, while his eyes regained their normal alignment. I had also taught him some rehabilitative exercises and techniques to facilitate the healing process. I admire Kanon’s bravery, fortitude and tenacity in overcoming his initial apprehension and trepidation – qualities rare among children his age. His resilient spirit is worthy of emulation. Cherishing every opportunity to help On the second day of the mission, an elderly lady was wheeled into the TCM consultation room on a trolley. She had been afflicted with a stroke for the past year, which limited her ability to walk. Yet, she had only sought treatment once as she could not afford more. Her arm movement was restricted and her speech was impaired due to injuries to her cerebral language centre. Her spirits were low, having been confined to her bed for a prolonged period. In addition to prescribing a course of