Dr. Li Yi introduced the establishment of Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center (BTCSCC) during his speech “Safeguarding Lives”
Speaker: Dr. Li Yi
Written by: Huang Xiang Hui & Huang Qiu Hui
Photographed by: Chen Zhong Hua
Translated by: Grace Wei-Ya Wang
On the night of the 14th September 2016, Dr. Li Yi who is the medical secretary and director general of the Quality Control Department at Tzu Chi Hualien Hospital, spoke to the TIMA members on the topic of “Safeguarding Lives”. Dr. Li Yi, who’s an anesthesiologist, started the speech recalling the difficulties that Tzu Chi Foundation encountered when setting up the Bone Marrow Donation Database.
Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center(BTCSCC)and volunteers strive to persuade the general public to become bone marrow donors
Tzu Chi Foundation Bone Marrow Database Center, now Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center (BTCSCC) was established in 1993. Up until August 2016, it has more than 400,000 entries and has successfully completed over 4,400 bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplant surgeries over 30 countries. BTCSCC is the 8th largest bone marrow database in the world. Back then, neither the government nor the other private companies dared to take on this almost impossible task, as a massive amount of volunteers were required and the setting up costs were unimaginable. Currently the center has over 50 staffs and many Tzu Chi volunteers, who go around to educate the public to donate bone marrow and support successful pair-ups, whom are crucial for the success of bone marrow transplants.
Tzu Chi Foundation Bone Marrow Database Center, now Buddhist Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center (BTCSCC) was established in 1993. Up until August 2016, it has more than 400,000 entries and has successfully completed over 4,400 bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplant surgeries over 30 countries. BTCSCC is the 8th largest bone marrow database in the world. Back then, neither the government nor the other private companies dared to take on this almost impossible task, as a massive amount of volunteers were required and the setting up costs were unimaginable. Currently the center has over 50 staffs and many Tzu Chi volunteers, who go around to educate the public to donate bone marrow and support successful pair-ups, whom are crucial for the success of bone marrow transplants.
Dr. Li Yi then shared another interesting story about a donor. The gentleman joined the database when he was 17 years old, as a gift for himself on turning 18. Time passed and he got married. When he was in his 30s, he got notified that he was paired up successfully. He told the BTCSCC that he smoked regularly therefore he would like to quit first before donating. In order to save a life, this gentleman successfully quitted his longtime bad habit of smoking, and his wife was extremely thankful that this transplant ultimately saved her husband’s health too.
When the video of the “Donor-Recipients Reunion Ceremony” was played on screen, seeing the recipients kneeling and bowing to thank the donors for saving their lives, many TIMA members were in tears as they were touched deeply.
Medical service carries on from charity to treat the sick
Many touching stories took place at Tzu Chi Hualien Hospital. In 2003, a pair of conjoined twins, Ci En and Ci Ai, was found at a Filipino Children Hospital by Tzu Chi Philippine volunteers. The sisters were then brought to Taiwan and completed the separation surgery at Tzu Chi Hualien Hospital in order to start their new independent lives. Another pair of conjoined twins, the Rose sisters, was successfully separated in 2010. Furthermore, the 3rd pair of conjoined twins also from the Philippines was separated in 2015 and is recovering well. All of these were great examples of how charity relays on to provision of medical service, to truly help the sick and poor.
Zheng Da Geng from Fujian province China has suffered from cortical myoclonus for over 20 years. In 2015, the medical team at Tzu Chi Hualien Hospital carried out a deep brain stimulation surgery (DBS) for him after close examination and series of meetings. Another Malaysian youngster with “elephant leg”, due to suffering from a rare disease of Lymphedema, was the most extreme swelling that Tzu Chi Hualien Hospital had treated. Yang Xiao Dong from Xiamen province China, suffering from ankylosing spondylitis for over 19 years, had an extreme crooked back that made daily life difficult. With the company of Xiamen Tzu Chi volunteers, in 2013, honorary superintendent Dr. Chen Ying He led the various departments at Tzu Chi Hualien Hospital, carrying out 5 surgeries over many months and finally, successfully corrected approximately 140 degrees of crook for Yang’s back. Yang Xiao Dong’s dream to lie flat on the bed was finally realized.
In the following year in 2014, with the help of Tzu Chi volunteers, a girl named Chen Tuan Zhi from Xiamen province China came all the way to Tzu Chi Hualien Hospital for medical assistance. Born with genu recurvatum disease (only about 20 cases worldwide), Chen’s legs were front to back and in a 90 degree L angel as if she was kneeling. After several difficult surgeries and hospitalized for over half a year, Chen recovered well and finally made it back home for Chinese New Year in 2015. In fact, Chen Tuan Zhi came to Taiwan to attend this year’s TIMA convention.
At the end of Dr. Li Yi’s speech, honorary superintendent Dr. Chen Ying He held Chen Tuan Zhi’s hand and walked together on to the stage. The lecture ended with great applause from all TIMA members.
At the end of the lecture, honorary superintendent Dr. Chen Ying He held Chen Tuan Zhi’s hand and walked together on to the stage.
