| The Messenger |
| By Li Wei-huang Translated by Tang Yau-yang Photos by Hsiao Yiu-hwa |
They went together to the party, but were taken away separately, to different hospitals. Once admitted, they could not easily communicate with each other. A woman came forward and bridged the gap.
Lu Mei-ying (second from right) and other Tzu Chi volunteers visit Da-fei at National Taiwan University Hospital. Courtesy of Lu Mei-ying Da-fei (大飛), 33, was one of the victims of the explosion at the Color Play Asia event. Fortunately for him, he was wearing a surgical mask and a kerchief on his head at the time of the fire. He emerged from the disaster with only 23 percent of his body burned—relatively mild compared with many other victims. After the accident, he and dozens of other victims were rushed to National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei. Tzu Chi volunteers visited the hospital regularly to offer care to the burn victims. The volunteers were divided into nine teams, each team accompanying and providing support to about five victims and their families. The volunteers brought with them an element that is sometimes missing in a hospital: a family-like attention to the needs of the patients and their families. They chatted with them about their wounds, their needs, their worries. They brought them food and daily necessities to make their stays more comfortable. These volunteers had more than enthusiasm and abundant love to aid them in their work—they also had rich experience in visiting and caring for the needy. They even took lessons on burns after the explosion so that they could better empathize and communicate with the patients and their families. “Do the other hospitals [that took in victims of the disaster] have volunteers like you?” Da-fei asked volunteer Lu Mei-ying (呂梅英). Yes, they did, she replied. But why did he ask? Delivering love Lu found out that Da-fei needed to send a message to a friend, A-li (阿禮), who had been admitted after the accident to Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan. Da-fei had gone to the party with A-li and three others. Sadly, one member of the small group of friends, a female, had perished. A-li was the one who had invited Da-fei to the party, and he felt deeply guilty after the tragedy. Da-fei wanted A-li to stop blaming himself for what had happened, but he did not know what to do. After hearing Da-fei’s story, Lu decided to help. She found A-li’s mother through the help of Tzu Chi social workers and volunteers in Taoyuan. The next day, Lu went with A-li’s mother to visit him at Chang Gung Hospital. He had burns on 25 percent of his body. Whenever he closed his eyes, he would see the scenes at the explosion again. His mind could not settle down, and he refused to face the outside world. With the consent of his family, Lu went into the ICU to talk with A-li. “The wounds on your legs will get better with time,” Lu said to him, holding his hands, “but make sure that the wounds in your mind get better, too.” She told him that he should not blame himself for what had happened to his friends, in particular the passing of his female friend. She said that some of the badly injured explosion victims had gone through so many surgeries to harvest skin for grafting elsewhere on their bodies that they had almost run out of good skin to give themselves. The tough road ahead of them could only be imagined. “That friend of yours who has passed on, on the other hand, is free of pain now, and she’s no longer suffering.” She encouraged A-li to let go and help his friend rest in peace. She continued: “Tzu Chi volunteers all over the world are praying for you all; you must wish yourself the best too.” She advised him not to be tied down by regrets. “You’re the only person who can relieve you of your own agony.” Watery-eyed, A-li held Lu’s hand and thanked her. Lu’s words seemed to have relieved him somehow. That very night, A-li’s mother called Lu to thank her for visiting and cheering her son on. A few days later, A-li gathered up his courage and opened his Facebook page for the first time after his injury. He burst into tears when he saw the multitude of messages left by his relatives and friends to cheer him on. He cried his heart out. This was the fourth time he cried in the ICU, and he hoped that it would be his last time as well. He told himself he had to be strong. Another visit A-li asked Lu to send his love and care to Da-fei too. Lu did, but her work didn’t end there—at A-li’s request, she visited another friend for him. That friend, Xiao-zeng ($p٤؟), was the younger brother of the friend who had passed away. Again with the help of social workers and fellow volunteers, Lu got in touch with Xiao-zeng’s father, who was in his 70s, and got permission to visit Xiao-zeng at Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Xiao-zeng was seriously injured, with 90 percent of his body burned. He remained unstable even after skin grafting. A-li was very worried about him. Xiao-zeng was so thoroughly burned that he was wrapped head to toe in bandages. Lu’s heart ached for the kid when she saw him. “A-li is concerned about you,” Lu said gently to him. The young man, attached to tubes, trembled in response though he could not move. Lu could see tears in his eyes. “Don’t worry. We’re all pulling for you. You must have confidence in yourself. A-li said that when they’re out of the hospital, they’ll come together to see you.” Lu was willing to visit different hospitals to deliver messages because she wanted the burn victims to know that they were not alone and that everyone was behind them to help them through this. “Tzu Chi volunteers go all over the world to deliver disaster relief; it’s really nothing for me to go to a few hospitals.” Lu emphasized that she would always gladly give her time if the victims and their families needed her.
Lu Mei-ying (left) chats with Da-fei at his home. The messenger Lu lives near National Taiwan University Hospital. Over the last dozen years, she has often visited the hospital with other volunteers in the area to provide care and help for underprivileged patients there. She is dedicated to her volunteer work not because she has too much time on her hands. In fact, she owns two companies which keep her plenty busy. No-nonsense and capable, Lu used to give off an air of aloofness. People who did not know her might have thought her standoffish. But that has changed since she joined Tzu Chi. She has visited many needy people in their homes, and she has seen what it is like to be poor or sick. Her experience has made her more soft-hearted, and she has become gentler in demeanor and countenance as a result. Though as capable as ever, she is now a lot more approachable and personable. Her conversations are peppered with witty, humorous remarks that easily loosen people up and make them open up to her. World-wise and experienced, she could talk easily with Da-fei, A-li, Xiao-zeng, and others. Lu has two daughters and a son. They are about the age of the fire victims. She cannot imagine how some of the injured youngsters are going to handle their challenges ahead, but she knows that she can love them as she does her own children. She recalled that she and some other volunteers had a small gathering with an explosion victim on the day he was discharged from the hospital. For the first time, the young man, who was about to start college, shared with the volunteers what he had experienced at the disaster scene. He thought it was really fun when colored powder was sprayed into the air, and when the fire broke out, he first thought it was part of the entertainment. But then he realized what had really happened and he started running for his life. When he looked back, he saw many people running, struggling, trying to get out of the fire. It all happened so suddenly, without any warning. This disaster really brought home to him how unpredictable and impermanent life is. Lu feels for these kids, for what they have had to go through. Even without the emotional trauma, the physical suffering is bad enough. She occasionally burns herself while cooking in the kitchen. Those burns are typically small and shallow, but even so they can be quite painful. “Given the large areas that were burned on many of these young people, you can only imagine the excruciating pain they must have felt,” she said. Some victims take their burns in stride, some in despair; some react well to words of encouragement, others dwell on their misery. Lu said that whatever their outlook or reaction, she attentively listens to them all and feels their pain all the same.
Da-fei, his family, and visiting Tzu Chi volunteers pose for a group picture. Volunteers have continued to care for victims of the disaster even after they are discharged from hospital. A new start Da-fei was discharged from the hospital after a month and a half. Volunteers living closer to him have since taken over caring for him and his family. On August 20, Lu and a few other volunteers visited Da-fei at his home in Zhongli, where he lives with his parents. His father owns a market stall and sells men’s clothing, and his mother works at home as a seamstress. Though Lu and the others had known Da-fei for some time, it was the first time they had seen him on his feet. They were surprised to find how tall he was. At more than six feet tall, he now looked distinctly different from their image of him lying in bed during his days as a patient. Da-fei was wearing pressure garments on his legs and right arm. He told the volunteers that he did not sleep well at night because of joint pains, but otherwise he felt fine and energetic. He even filled out an application on the spot to become a Tzu Chi volunteer, hoping to put his expertise in advertisement design and photography to good use for Tzu Chi. He also announced to the visitors that he had officially changed his name because his old name included the word for fire. With his new name, he declared that he was starting his life anew. |
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