3158 Edition
September 3-9, 2012
PCT Organization News
Former patient surprises Sin-Lau Hospital Superintendent at reappointment celebration
Reported by Chen Yi-hsuan
Written by Lydia Ma
Sin-Lau Hospital held a thanksgiving service on September 1, 2012, to celebrate the reappointment of its superintendent, Dr. Huang Tzuu-yuan. Among the guests present to witness this joyous occasion were PCT General Assembly Moderator Pusin Tali, 2 members of Sin-Lau Hospital’s board of directors, Rev. Chou Hsin-tien and Rev. C.M. Kao. The hospital, which belongs to the PCT, was first founded by missionary James L. Maxwell and it is the first western-style hospital in Taiwan.
Chou delivered the sermon on that day on the theme of “Let us rise and build together”. During this message, he encouraged Huang to learn from the prophet Nehemiah by praying frequently, remaining passionate about his calling, and building a good team that will take the hospital to new heights. Following the sermon, Sin-Lau Hospital’s choir and Zion Church’s choir each sang a song of blessing.
However, the highlight of this occasion was toward the end of the service when the chairperson of the service and Sin-Lau Hospital chaplain, Rev. Hsu Tien-hsien, asked Huang, who was already standing at the front, to “wait a little bit longer”. Soon after that moment, a boy in his teens came up to the front and presented Huang with a bouquet.
It turned out that this boy had been Huang’s patient 18 years ago. When Fang Chung-chuan was 2 years old, he began to fall often whenever he walked and would sometimes complain about sharp pain in his feet. The cause of his illness remained a mystery even after his parents took him to every hospital in Tainan City. Fang was later transferred to Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital where he underwent a battery of tests that yielded no definite results.
Huang was a neurosurgeon at Kaohsiung Hospital at the time this was happening and he was a distant great-uncle of Fang Chung-chuan’s mother. Upon hearing about Fang’s condition, Huang suspected that there might be a tumor inside Fang’s spine. Upon further examination, his suspicions were confirmed and a surgery was scheduled the following day.
Fang Chung-chuan’s mother said that she is very grateful to Huang because his timely and correct diagnosis and surgery helped her son to grow into a healthy teenager. Though her son’s tumor came back when he was 7 and 13 years old, they were removed successfully with the help of Huang. For this reason, the entire Fang family were eager to attend this joyous occasion and offer a bouquet to Huang to express their gratitude.
During his speech, Huang said he was overjoyed and comforted to see the tiny child he had operated on 18 years ago grow up so well. He thanked everyone for their prayers on behalf of Sin-Lau Hospital. He also thanked his family for their patience and his staff for their efforts. “Being reappointed is a sign of affirmation,” he said. “But there are still many things that need to be done. In the future I plan to focus on challenges associated with an aging population and the needs of patients with chronic diseases.”
During his past term as superintendent of Sin-Lau Hospital, Huang oversaw the hospital pass various appraisals and its branch in Madou also became a district hospital. Huang also began a training program with the purpose of training Christians to become healthcare volunteers at their own churches. He also created a team devoted to telecare by combining home care with modern technologies. It was Huang who came up with the idea of creating “Joy Choir”, a choir consisting of cancer patients that has brought comfort and healing to many patients overtime. He also led a team of staff to India and Swaziland in 2010 for medical missions.
Huang receives a bouquet from Fang Chung-chuan
Photo by Chen Yi-hsuan
