Completion. Celebrate the. of Selfless-giving. 2,000 Marrow Donors Completion in Tzu Chi Registry. Written by Wei-Yun Peng

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1 Celebrate the Completion of Selfless-giving 2,000 Marrow Donors Completion in Tzu Chi Registry Written by Wei-Yun Peng 120

2 Sixteen years of hard work on the bone marrow program, the Tzu Chi marrow donors database is growing at an inspiring rate to benefit the needy. Photo shows volunteers prepare to promote the event of marrow donor registry. I have been waiting for fifteen years. It is finally my turn That was the call from the 1,900th donor for the Tzu Chi bone marrow stem cells transplant program. In October 2009, the total number of marrow donors has exceeded 2,000 a milestone for the center. Over the years, starting with a handful of donors each year to an average of 30 donors per month, today, or the equivalent of 300 per year currently, patients in over 27 countries are benefited by the donors great love. Your pain is my suffering, great love has no boundaries is the mission of Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center (originally named Tzu Chi Marrow Donor Registry) which has been broadly accepted by the international communities. Great love has no boundaries and without regards to religion, nationality or race. Sixteen Years of Marathon It is because of you, because of me, the world is different and full of love. On October 10, 2009, the Because of you, because of me musical ceremony 121

3 was celebrated at the Tzu Chi General Hospital in Taipei. Tzu Chi Medical Mission CEO Chin-Lon Lin, Director Ming-Hwang Shyr of the center, Superintendent You- Chen Chao of Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, and Hematology & Oncology Dr. Chen-Chun Wang from Tri-Service General Hospital (Wang pioneered the first case of nonrelative transplant surgery of bone morrow in Taiwan), gathered to thank the donors and their families, and all other volunteers for their selfless acts. The Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center has been established for almost 16 years. It has broken the fallacy that bone marrow is extracted from the spinal cords and the procedure would cause injuries. Master Cheng Yen said the program is a good cause and a good deed, and It saves a life without injuring oneself. Through the end of September, over 327,627 cases of donor profiles have been established, and over 12,549 cases of blood plasma were completed. Dr. Shyr commented, The first 500 donors took 8 years and 7 months, the second 500 donors took 3 years, the third 500 donors took 2 years and 1 month, and the fourth 500 donors took 1 year and 9 months. During the sixteen years, the rate of increase has exceeded expectation. This success is due to the pioneer work of volunteers in the early stage and the continued support of all the volunteers during the entire transplant program. A bone marrow donation using peripheral blood stem cells is accepted better by the general public. Peripheral Blood Stem Cells Donation In August of 2003, Tzu Chi Cells Center has replaced the traditional bone marrow graft (extract from the spinal cord) with the T-cells method, the first case was successfully grafted in the Tzu Chi Hospital. Dr Shyr said, Peripheral blood stem cells harvest has been perfected in several advanced countries with over twenty years of experience. Through September of 2009, over 90% of the annual bone marrow transplants performed in Tzu Chi are from the peripheral blood stem cells method. Based upon studies, peripheral blood cells neutrophil granulocyte and platelet thrombocyte recover faster. The method 122

4 is less toxic enabling quicker recovery of the body immune system, and without the application of anesthesia. Overall, patients recover faster because of the non-invasive method of harvesting stem cells. The First Successful Bone Marrow Transplant A musical drama was played on stage during a remembrance conference, taking the audience back to 1993 when non-relatives bone marrow transplant just became legal. The Taipei Buddhist Tzu Chi Hospital organized a large scale bone marrow screening in order to save lives. Mei-Ching Yeh, a transfer student from the nursing program, stopped by a Tzu Chi booth and immediately signed up for the program. A year later, opportunity came knocking on her door. Mei-Ching Yeh was notified of a successful match, the probability of a match is one in ten thousands. On the eve of Mother s Day, Mei-Ching Yeh went to the hospital for her first marrow extraction without telling the families. It was the first case of nonrelative bone marrow transplant in Taiwan so doctors were curious about her background. Mei-Ching Yeh explained, At the time I felt the call of the person who was about to die without the marrow transplant. In a gathering the following year, Mei-Ching Yeh was thankful for the opportunity and the little discomfort was worth the effort. At the time when bone marrow transplant was yet to be known and accepted by the general public, Mei-Ching Yeh embraced the idea and created a new page in history for the beginning of a bone marrow drive. Sixteen years later, her courageous act had led to an accumulation of 2,000 cases of non-relative bone marrow donation. Many of those donors gathered together today, tearful but happy, to commemorate a common desire to extend the gift of life to the people who are in need. Fu-Lin Chang and Mei-Ling Huang are the most persuasive team since they have the experience and understand the struggle of donors and families. 123

5 Husband and Wife The Ambassadors Fu-Lin Chang and Mei-Ling Huang are husband and wife as well as bone marrow donors. Their encounters with the bone marrow drive are vivid and amazing. Whether or not you decide to participate, I will support you, volunteer Pi-Ling Kuan congratulated Huang for a successful marrow match on the telephone. Huang was thankful for the unconditional support from her husband and the hospital staff so the experience was quite pleasant. Chang made a lot of friends while accompanying his wife to the program. He believed bone marrow transplants could save lives and that it didn t deplete the body s ability to regenerate. Two years later, when he was informed of a match, he gladly accepted. Chang said, The task to save a life requires team effort and I have the easiest job because I only have to lie down. In reality, the process is more complex and Huang can attest to it. Huang was nervous this time around even though she had the experience. She worried about the procedure and fortunately with the support of volunteers, she was able to cope with it. In the end, it was a success and the couple was jubilant when they learned that the recipient had children. Re-write the Personal Life Stories Yi-Cheng Yu and Chiao-Ling Chen were connected together by a common goal. They met first time at the Taipei 124

6 Yi-Cheng Yu(middle) is thankful for the opportunity to save a life and earned him a lovely wife(right). airport when they were on their way to the Tzu Chi Hospital for a marrow transplant. It was like love at first sight and the two tied the knot after awhile. Over three hundred donors gathered in one place to share their personal experiences. There are many stories, sweet or sour, yet to be told. People may not know each other but that doesn t matter. Everyone carries smiles on their faces, and often with tearful eyes because of the power of love. Two thousand non-relative bone marrow donations is a milestone. It is a miracle full of love. Every case is the hard work of dedicated volunteers accompanying donors throughout the entire journey. From educating the public to blood screening, and to preparing the donors for the final collection of marrow in the hospital, the process is repeated thousands of times. It is like a fabric interwoven with personal courage, persistence, and the challenge to bridge the divide between life and death. The message is clear, that great love is being felt on this land. Over 300 donors gathered in Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital to support the act of Tzu Chi s marrow donation. 125