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Home>Service> Awardees of Fervent Global Love of Lives Award> 13th Fervent Global Love of Lives Award 2010> Teacher of Cancer-fighting and Organic Foods - Li Chiu-Liang
Work to Death, better than Sick to Death
      Founder of Agape Foundation and Wonder Bio Land , Li Chiu-Liang, was once a nurse and owner of a pharmacy. In 1984, she was diagnosed with fibroid, and confirmed in 1990 she had terminal bladder cancer. Cancer spread to her lymph and pelvic, and she had two major surgeries to have her uterus, ovary, uterine tube, appendix, and bladder removed. Doctor cut off 70 cm of small intestines and made an intestine bladder for intubate urinating.
      When Chiu –Liang was sick, she had an idea of organic eating and was enthusiastic about working on the concept of organic foods. Thus, she devoted her life to the public affairs. In 1993, she opened the first organic food marketplace “ Wonder Bio Land ”. The next year, her condition worsened; she brought her diary and briefcase, left her parents and friends, and went back to Chai Mt. where she used to live to wait for death. Out of her expectation, she had close encounter with the nature, and thus, she returned to enjoy a simple life, and established Agape Foundation and Wonder Bio Land to promote organic foods.
      Chiu-Liang studied how to grow vegetables, fruits, and crops on her own in rural areas, consulted with many experts in agriculture to differentiate soils, crops. She learned about the growth of wild plants, and the effects of pesticide on crops. She maintained a simple daily routine, and changed her eating habits; besides, she also learned breathing techniques and meditation. The power of her belief made her feel that she regained her energy and her health. She believed that cancer patients should have an optimistic personality in everything they do, and the concept of “work to death is better than sick to death”. Everyday, she sat under a banyan tree to smile and meditate before working on her breathing techniques.
      After 26 years, she worked very hard to promote the concept of healthy eating, and designed recipes for mentally challenged children; she also gave advices to cancer patients and people who wish to live a healthy life. She hopes that cancer patients can learn to make their own healthy food and do not eat refined food. She thinks that coarse food is better than refined food; especially, food would taste better when you make your own. Besides, she learns from our ancestors to taste numerous herbs, including pasture grass. When she lived in Guansi, she could not find any vegetables that are pesticide-free, thus, she began to drink pasture grass juice like the cow does. Surprisingly, the juice made her feel better; therefore, she gradually regained her health.
      Over the past two decades, she seldom got sick and she only used her insurance card once for dental check. The miracle of her fighting cancer has inspired many cancer patients. She brings happiness to many people so she always feels joyous.
      Therefore, she said to people, “work to death is better than sick to death”. She transformed cancer into trust, hope, and love to publicize organic foods, help cancer patients and devote herself to the public. She can be called “teacher of cancer-fighting and organic foods.” Among 1959 candidates for the medal, she is awarded the “2010 13 th Fervent Global Love of Lives Medal” by the Chou Ta-Kuan Foundation.
 
[Transform Cancer to Trust, Hope, and Love]
      Without eminent family background, Chiu-Liang does not have distinguished educational record; yet, we like to call her “teacher”. Because of her life wisdom, religious belief, moral courage, selfish love, tenderness modest, virtue of patience and restraint, she has become our model and many people's “teacher of lives”. Her fabulous life starts from the day she had cancer.
      Li Ciu-Liang was born on October 24, 1944 in home of black-feet disease, Beimen Township of Tainan. Raised in a rural village, she loved nature, and learned the miracle of nature to cure many types of illness.
      After she was 19 years old when she completed her study, she receiving nursing training in Chiayi. She married Mr. Huang Mao-Seng at 24, and opened a pharmacy with her husband.
      She was diagnosed with fibroid and received surgery at 40, then started to eat organic food. At 46, she suffered from bladder cancer, and was hospitalized at Veterans General Hospital for nine months when her illness reached a terminal stage. She received chemotherapy and surgery, which removed her bladder and organs in her pelvis, and had an artificial bladder with 70 cm long small intestines. Later on, she needed intubate-urinating everyday and slept with a urine bag on her bedside. She could not fall asleep and had to sleep on her side in order to check on the urine tube. She spent 26 years in “half dream and half awake”.
      When she was ill, she learned many alternative medicine and organic eating; she also vowed to devote her time to promote organic foods with her husband. She had given lectures in universities, government institutions, private organizations, and companies to help cancer patients and improve their health.
      1993 Established the first organic foods marketplace “ Wonder Bio Land ” in Kaohsiung .
      1994 Her illness worsened. She brought her diary and briefcase, left her parents and friends, and lived in Chia Mt. to wait for death. At this time of despair, she had close encounter with the nature, and started to live a simple life.
      Early 1995, she opened the second organic foods marketplace “ Wonder Bio Land ” in a Hua Kuang Development Center in Guansi, Hsinchu. Assisted by many experts, they actively promote buds, seedlings, organic vegetables, pasture grass and benefit of organic eating.
      1997 She found Agape Foundation to promote organic eating, respect life, and use resources wisely. She also extensively promoted the idea in many places.
      Until now, Chiu-Liang still eats coarse food (organic food) and travels everywhere (to promote the organic eating). She considers herself “a simple and ordinary person who is taken care by God and who always feels the presence of God”.
 
[Carry the Cross with Gratitude]
      Some people feel regretful and hatred to face death when they have cancer, and some spend everyday in sorrow. Chia-Liang faces her illness with gratitude filled in heart and lives an extraordinary life; not only she survives a crisis, but also helps many other cancer and terminal disease patients. She brings comfort, warmth, and hope to everyone she faces. She encourages cancer patients, “God finds us because God knows that we are able to carry the Cross; our relatives and friends will be inspired by us and benefit from us, so our sufferings are worth it.” Because of her warmth and spirit, many people are moved by her passion. She asks for people who are also interested in organic eating to join her effort in promoting the idea.
 
[Work to death is better than sick to death]
      When facing death, she bestows on God; she also feels deeply about other patients' sickness and makes promise to God: “If I get better and survive the disease, I would rather work to death than sick to death!” Then, miracle happened, she regained her health, and she always kept her promises and deemed of herself as God's servant. Traveling long hours, she works for people who desperately need her.
      After long time of sickness, Chia-Liang thinks that we are just a physical body that we “have the right to use but without the right of ownership”. The causal relationship and changing reality of life is like a stream; when it touches our feet, it just flows away. So, we need to learn to give up sometimes; do not over-persistent.
      Couples should remind each other, when they feel frustrated, “work to death is better than sick to death”! They march forward to their destination with full spirit in heart.
 
[Poor cancer patients]
      People who know Chiu-Liang well are familiar with her philosophy “clothes worn out and shoes worn out, recycle other peoples' clothing, and “clothes that are worn and washed do not have chemicals”.
      She usually has only a cloth bag bringing intubate-urinating instrument. In a simple briefcase, she has very simple clothes. She dresses like people who practice Buddhism and seldom makes changes. When she travels, she brings her own slippers, bucket, towels, tableware, and cups. She also tells family: “What I have brought with me are my only belongings!”
 
[Not tempted by illegal profit]
      Dr. Yang Nai-Yan once said, “Many people think organic foods are healthy, but do not taste good. But Chiu-Liang's organic foods are different, they are healthy and delicious; especially for cancer patients who have bad appetite, organic foods are good for them.”
      After many years of experiences, research, and teachings, Chia-Liang and her husband have accumulated solid professional knowledge, experiences, and resources. They do not treat it as a “money-making business” instead they think of it as a giving, long-term caring, promoting and educating people career path. They provide assistance to those who are interested in promoting organic eating without asking for return. When people or companies that she assisted want to give her back, they will be rejected or money will be transferred to the other charity or welfare institution. She would rather live a life of a “poor cancer patient”.
 
[Open a school]
      Chiu-Liang has established Agape Foundation and Wonder Bio Land to promote organic eating and a place for spiritual consultation of cancer patients. She also became one of the founders of the Homemakers' Union and Foundation. Many people who are working in organic stores across Taiwan are Chiu-Liang's students or once consulted by her. She has played a role of “happy volunteer”.
      When she saw her students were promoting organic eating and had excellent results, Ms. Li said: “I am not a famous teacher, but I have distinguished students sometimes!” Their achievements are Ms. Li's biggest comfort.
 
 [Out of her own pocket, and not care about copyright]
      In order to teach her experiences and organic eating to other people and help more who have similar problems, she convinced her husband to use the money that is planned for building their house on filmmaking with Kuangchi Program Service. In spite of her serious illness, she spent three years to make four videotapes of “I Face the Cancer with Laugh”. Among them, one videotape was about several creative “mind and spiritual movements”. After showing on CTS News Magazine, it received many feedbacks from the audiences; suddenly, more people know that educating the heart and soul plus balanced nutrition can cure cancer and bring a more healthy life.
      Later on, Chiu-Liang published “Eat in Health and Love” VCD and CD series, and books titled “Organic Exchange Organic” and “Li Chiu-Liang's Healthy Dishes”. She shared with us her life passage when she walked through the tunnel of a dark valley and answered people's questions regarding organic eating. Also, she teaches selfless many people her “creative” organic dining.
      In her publications, a concept she holds is “copies can save others”. Her knowledge can help people and save people; she does not care about the copyright or profit. As she thinks that she survives cancer is God's special gift to her, she is very happy and satisfied that she can help other people.