One special friend

One special friend

Story and Photography by Yuan-Chieh Chang

Every week she pays the hospital a visit. As she stares at the strange faces through watery eyes, this child with a congenital defect feels unusually cheerful after today’s checkup. The sisterly doctor always speaks to her with a smile as she tries to coax the laughter from her tears. As the days pass, she will get to know this “big sister,” as a friend she grew up. What could bring more joy than this? The carefully cultivated flower is growing stronger by the day. This is the greatest achievement of any pediatrician and a blessing to the children.

Prologue

In medical school, many of our instructors told us that a physician’s career was no longer a smooth path. With the deterioration of the doctor-patient relationship, everything a doctor does is often placed under heavy scrutiny. A hospital is an emotional crossroad of everyday life stories as the lives of many intersect and turn, sometimes coming to an end. It is here that we experience the true face of humanity. As they face the bumps and challenging turns in their lives, people always express their deepest emotions and strength. There are so many scenes of great stories of ordinary people that I would like to hold in my memory forever. The first time I left the bustling of Taipei for Hualien, I was amazed that the sky could be so blue, the air so fresh and the land so captivating. With my old, trusty camera that I brought from home in hand, I wanted to preserve the beauty of everything I saw…

About the Author

Yuan-Chieh Chang is a 6th year medical student at Tzu Chi University. Born and raised in Taipei, he fell in love with Hualien. His passion for photography arises from the desire to preserve every beautiful image that can never be reproduced. Living the busy life of learning and saving people’s lives, Yuan-Chieh Chang believes that in addition to a strong belief, having an interest to soothe the emotions is also very important. He always feels soothed and reenergized as he observes and waits to catch that perfect photo.

【Timeless Moments】

Hospitals are pagodas where lives are saved and love accumulates,
as well as stages where people meet and part,
births and deaths loop,
twenty-four-seven non-stop.

Every moment a heart-warming tale.
When the shutter releases, through the mind’s eye,
the moment when lives interweave are captured,
and the profound emotional experience remembered.

E-Mail：btcmf@tzuchi.com.tw
Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation：http://www.tzuchi.com.tw/

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