Chang Gung University Held a Memorial Service to

Appreciate Donors and Cadavers

Office of Secretariat

The Chang Gung Organ Donation and Cadaver Memorial Service was held in the International Conference Hall of Chang Gung University on the afternoon of March 23, 2019. Nearly 1,000 participants gathered together to show their appreciation of the selfless dedication of organ donors and cadavers. The venue was filled with gratitude and reminisce feelings as well as the greatest admiration of their family.

Chang Gung University and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital holds a memorial service on the eve of the Tomb Sweeping Day every year. The memorial service this year was hosted by Prof. Wen-Ko Chiou, the secretary general of Chang Gung University, and Dr. Wen-Jin Cherng of the the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. They led teachers, student representatives and medical team representatives to attend the ceremony. Po-Chang Lee, director general of National Health Insurance Administration, Yang-Ren Jiang, chief executive officer of Taiwan Organ Registry and Sharing Center (TORSC), and Ming-Zhe Li, chairman of the Republic of China Organ Procurement Association, and other distinguished guests were also invited to attend the memorial service. The family members of Mr. Wei-Xi Lin, who was killed in the fire of the Zin Poon factory last year (April 2018), and the family members of Mr. Guan-Jun Wang Huang, national highway police officer who was struck by a car and killed when he was on duty last year (November 2018) near Hukou on the First National Highway, were also present.

Mr Wei-Xi Lin served in the Pingjhen Unit of the Taoyuan City Fire Bureau while he was alive. He completed the annotation of organ donation at the age of 20. After the accident, his family tried hard to suppress their grief and decided to complete his mission of helping others throughout his life. Mr. Wei-Xi Lin donated his heart, liver, cornea and blood vessels. His family even donated an ambulance to the fire bureau for him. They were trying to tell Wei-Xi, “Your spirit and story will be continued. Wei-Xi Number 1 Ambulance will continue to help more people. We will shine your love, and we will always love you and be proud of you”.

Mr Guan-Jun Wang Huang was a graduate of the 35^th class of the Police Academy and was assigned to do his internship at the Yangmei Branch of the National Highway Police Office. Parents expressed their wishes to spread their love among the living after their death, but an unexpected accident happened to him. Even though they were unwilling to let go, his parents eventually decided to donate his heart, liver, kidneys, cornea and blood vessels. Guan-Jun’s mother said that, “Guan-Jun achieved something beyond what we could have asked for, not only offering a second chance for a broken life, but also letting everyone rethink the heavy mission of the national highway police.”

Statistics released by Chang Gung University showed that there were 55 organ donors and 18 cadavers last year, making up a total of 73 people. Donors had different backgrounds. Some were dedicated mainstays of society. Some were dream-building youths eager to move forward. Some were civil servants who served people, and others were hard-working parents with love. When their life came to an end, they still benefited others. Such a great love not only allowed the rebirth of many lives, but also guided medical students to explore the wisdom of medical science. Their contribution to society is self-evident.

Ms Shu-Hua Lin, who was able to continue her life thanks to lung transplantation, expressed her gratitude and presented a bouquet of flowers to the families of organ donors on behalf of the organ recipients this year. The token of gratitude and dedication was received by Ms Xin-Jie Lin, the sister of Mr. Wei-Xi Lin. Ms Shu-Hua Lin said that she suffered from a rare disease called "primary pulmonary hypertension". There were several times when she felt chest pain and couldn’t breathe as a result of the illness. Later, due to the poor effect of oral medication, the doctor changed to the vasodilator injection treatment, but she developed severe allergic reactions, systemic swelling and pain, and eventually even needed her family members to help her get up and go to toilet. While waiting for the transplant, she had received three calls, and the fourth call finally led her to the transplant operation and rehabilitation treatment, and now she had the opportunity to stand here.

Ms Lin appreciated the lung transplant team of the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou branch for their good care. After the 15-hour transplant operation in September 2017, she began a long road of rehabilitation. Now she can breathe and climb a few more floors easily. It’s so precious. Ms Lin said that nobody could more understand the meaning of breathing than lung transplant patients, and all this is attributed to the donor's love.  Four calls represent four hopes, but it also means that four families are suffering because they lose their loved ones. Therefore, she was especially grateful to the organ donors and their families for their kindness and goodwill. She also hoped that the families of organ donors could see hope in her.

In addition, Jia-Chun Cheng, a third-year student of the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, represented the students of the College of Medicine to give a bouquet of flowers to Ms Wen-Zhen Yin, representative of cadavers’ family members. Cheng also gave a speech to commemorate the silent and selfless cadavers. Cheng appreciated cadavers for showing the human body structure generously and for teaching by example without claiming any credit. The family members of the cadavers turned their pain into earnest hope. This kind of compassion has already planted seeds in the heart of the students who are studying medicine. This would inspire them to be grateful and sincere, to always improve themselves, and to let the love of life blossom during their studies.

In order to offer the most sincere gratitude and respect, the teachers and students of Chang Gung University and the medical staff of Chang Gung Memorial Hospital all stood up under the guidance of the emcee, and bowed to the family members of the organ donors and the cadavers. Then the ceremony broadcasted the "Timeless Remembrance" film. The film brought out the biography summary of the organ donors and the cadavers and the deep thoughts of the family members. The atmosphere was solemn and touching. The memorial service was completed successfully with the performance of Chang Gung University XiaoYun Choir and the performance of the String Orchestra Club.

After the ceremony, the family members went to the university to dedicate flowers to the Spreading Love among the Living Commemorative Monument, mourning their beloved and great relatives, and also blessing the recipients who gained a chance to live again due to the great love and the students who learned from the selfless cadavers, so that they can continue their life and let the flower of life continue to spread and bloom.