The world of Tzu Chi Sep-Oct 2022 (Vol.143)

TZU CHI 143 37 deteriorating eyesight due to diabetes. Worried about his safety, and to take care of their children, Siew Leak could only join him to scavenge recyclables for a living. Although life had been tough, they managed to scrape by. However in 2020, they had zero income and struggled to subsist for several months due to the pandemic. When they began to see hope following the easing of the pandemic situation and restrictions, they were dealt with another blow. Siong Heng was rushed to the hospital for dizziness and weakness, and was found to have a high white blood cell count, with suspected bacterial infection. As the hospital was short of hospital beds, he was given medication and allowed to recuperate at home. However, his condition did not improve after some time. He still felt dizzy and could not walk properly, let alone go out to collect recyclables. During that difficult period, Tzu Chi volunteer Ng Siew Khim paid the family a visit regarding the children’s education aid— Siong Heng’s sons, Yew Hong and Yew Man, have been beneficiaries of Tzu Chi Study & Awards Scheme for the past three years. Upon discovering the family’s predicament, Siew Khim immediately reported it to Tzu Chi, and they became Tzu Chi care recipients, receiving monthly assistance since January 2022. Although Siong Heng’s health improved over time, and was able to go out and collect recyclables later on, he would still be panting if he spoke too much. Hence, volunteers advised him to get further health check, and to avoid piling up recyclables, which would not only affect their living environment and health, but also their children’s studies. Nevertheless, the couple continued to leave home at 5-ish in the morning to look for recyclables, before they were carted off by the garbage trucks. With their hard work, their house was cluttered with recyclables, some of which were covered with a thick layer of dust, and even the walking space was blocked. When Dr. Ng Guat Kiat and Dr. Saw Bee Chian saw their living environment, they, too, offered their advice. After studying Siong Heng’s blood test report in detail, Dr. Saw explained to Siew Leak that her husband’s kidney functions were deteriorating, affecting his heart, lungs and other organs. In addition, he also had a serious bacterial infection in the lungs. The poorly ventilated and cluttered living environment might encourage the growth of bacteria and viruses, consequently posing health risks to the family. Siew Leak responded, “It is not that we do not want to clear the recyclables collected sooner, but we will only get RM1 for each piece of electrical appliance sold. The recycling trader might even refuse to take them. If we dismantle them and sort the parts out, we can get higher proceeds. The copper wires fetch a good price, but it takes time and effort to extract them. As much as I wished to dismantle and segregate them, my time and energy are limited. For others, these items might be rubbish, but for us, each of them has our sweat in it and they mean money.” From curing people to healing minds On the other side, Dr. Ng was talking to Siong Heng, who was lying lucidly in bed. Being aware of his diabetes, Dr. Ng was concerned when she noticed plaster banding on his sole. As it turned out, Siong Heng has been scavenging around wearing slippers, and