"My son carries half of Taiwanese blood in him, so he is also Taiwanese." On the morning of September 11th, former Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo (楊榮文), his family and friends, made a special trip to Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital and the Jing Si Abode, just before the 30th-anniversary celebration of the Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center. They came to express their deepest gratitude to Master Cheng Yen, founder of Tzu Chi, and the team of the Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center for saving Yeo’s son, Yeo Sze Hong (楊時弘), by giving him a transplant of hematopoietic stem cells in 2004 that saved his life.

Crossing Half the Globe to Save Their Son

The emotional connection between the Yeo family and Taiwan dates back to 2004 when their youngest son, Hong, then 10 years old, successfully underwent a hematopoietic stem cell transplant to treat leukemia; it restored his health. Their next visit was in 2011, and the one this year was their first for 12 years.

Today Hong, 29, is a graduate at medical school.

Dr. Shinn-Zong Lin (林欣榮), superintendent of Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, personally received the Yeo family and introduced them to the achievements of his hospital in the field of stem cell therapy. Supt. Lin saw Yeo Sze Hong, a healthy doctor in his prime of youth, and felt immense satisfaction. He extended a warm welcome to him at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital and encouraged him to learn more about medicine through exchanges with the staff.

When Hong was three years old, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia due to symptoms such as fever, body bruising, and bleeding. At the age of four, doctors determined that a bone marrow transplant (hematopoietic stem cell transplant) was the only viable treatment. The family could not find suitable matches among his siblings or relatives. Driven by their love for their son, the Yeos embarked on a journey from Singapore to Hong Kong and finally to the United States; they searched halfway around the world in bone marrow databases. Unexpectedly, during treatment in the United States, they were able to find a match through Tzu Chi's bone marrow database in Taiwan. It was at that moment they experienced the selfless love of Tzu Chi volunteers, which bridges racial and international boundaries.

Their son's recovery through hematopoietic stem cell transplantation led the Yeo family to visit Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center. While they were in Taiwan, they learned of the more than 460,000 volunteer donor profiles it had accumulated, all thanks to the tireless efforts of Tzu Chi volunteers who have canvassed many communities. This selfless dedication not only inspired the Yeo family but also affirmed the meaning of life after recovery. George Yeo remarked that the Tzu Chi database not only held significance for his son but also benefitted all those in need around the world.

Master Cheng Yen's Blessing and Encouragement

George Yeo said that returning to the Jing Si Abode in Hualien to visit Master Cheng Yen once again was not only an opportunity to express his gratitude but also a chance for the Master to witness the young man whom Tzu Chi had saved many years ago. Hong has now grown into an adult and is studying medicine with a strong aspiration to save lives.

George Yeo said: "I am grateful to Tzu Chi, grateful to the many volunteers, and, most of all, grateful to Dharma Master Cheng Yen for extending my son's life."

"Put your heart into it and give more because saving lives is the greatest merit. When you were a child, someone with a compassionate heart donated their bone marrow, and now that you've grown up, I offer my blessings. I wish for you to become a physician who can save even more people." Upon seeing the healthy and grown-up Hong, Dharma Master Cheng Yen blessed the Yeo family and encouraged Hong to become a compassionate physician who can save many lives.

George Yeo also prepared a calligraphic artwork of the character "恩" (gratitude) to represent their deepest sense of gratitude and brought along his work, Collection of Thoughts. (《凝思集》) As the 30th-anniversary celebration of the Tzu Chi Stem Cells Center approaches, the Yeo family's "Blessed by Marrow" story, and their visit, once again bear witness to the beauty created in this world through love.

A Jing Si Aphorism says: “Embrace all, even those who are not related to us by blood, and feel their suffering as our very own.”

Join Tzu Chi. Let us spread Great Love to the needy.

Story by Liu Zhenzhen:
Edited by Yang Ya-Ying | 2023/09/12