Written by: Wong, Huei Ping

 

Translated By:Angie Riddell

 

Philip Huang heard about the Tzu Chi Foundation a long time ago, but he paid no special attention to its activities because he was busy making a living. It changed one day when he accidentally fell backwards exercising. The fall caused a laceration on the scalp of his head. He was sent to the emergency room and received several stitches. Having no health insurance, he worried about the additional cost of going back to the hospital to have the stitches taken out. He then went to Tzu Chi's Free Clinic in Los Angeles to see if he could get some help.  Dr. Hsu, Ming Chang was on duty on that day and he carefully removed the stitches, which saved him from owing more money to the hospital.

 

Now that he had a place to go for his medical needs, he was able to have his diabetes treated from the Clinic. Without health insurance, he had no way to keep his high blood pressure and diabetes under control. His neighbors sometimes would supply him some of their medication, but it was never a steady supply. He also suffered from arthritis on his fingers. He was unable to bend his fingers and the constant pain eventually stopped him from going out to work. The Chinese medicine doctor at the Clinic treated his fingers with acupuncture, which helped him substantially. Now he could bend his fingers and take care of some housework. He was grateful for the help he received from the Clinic and he hoped one day he might be able to do something for the foundation.

 

The opportunity finally came in September this year. Mr. Huang's sister and her partner decided to shut down their factory making adult size diapers. His sister was originally thinking of giving the leftover diaper inventory to someone she knew. Going to the Clinic for treatment, Mr. Huang often heard from Pei Juan, volunteer at the Clinic, about the trip they took to the nursing homes in Mexico. They always brought necessities with them when they visited the nursing homes. Adult size diaper was one of the items. He talked to his sister about that, hoping that she could give the remaining diapers, some 20 boxes, to the Tzu Chi Foundation for the nursing homes in Mexico. He realized that the value and the quantity of the donation was not much, but it came from his grateful and sincere heart. His sister gladly gave him the go-ahead. He then went to the clinic with the good news. He could not personally deliver the boxes because he did not have a car. He asked if any of the volunteers at the clinic could pick them up. On the afternoon of September 30th, when brother Hsin drove to the home of his sister's, Mr. Huang was waiting in front of the garage and was ready to help load the diapers in spite of his arthritis fingers. He was happy for the fact that he had received love from the Clinic and that the circle of love continued on with his contribution.