Paint with Love in Life of Comeback Win
    The outstanding alumnus of the night class of Department of Creative Product Design, Asia University, Lai Yun-zhu grew up with the full love from the family like a happy angel. At the age of 16, she found the abnormal blood count through the blood test because she didn’t get well from a cold for one month.
    Her parents brought her to Chung Shan Medical University Hospital for a checkup. After the doctor told them the result, her parents’ serious facial expressions and hesitant speech made her think of “cancer.” She felt unreal about the news like a shocking thunder.
     After Lai was diagnosed with the acute lymphoblastic leukemia, her parents decided to transfer her to Taichung Veterans General Hospital to receive the more professional treatment. While other teenagers were enjoying their youth freely, she had to stay in the hospital and endure the discomfort from chemotherapy. By painting, she depicted the symptoms of chemotherapy, from vomiting, penetrating pain, difficult breath, to shock and shared with all cancer patients to encourage many patients with the same experience to live in hope.
Conquer Blood Cancer．Live in the Present
    Lai often holds an open and active attitude and finally conquers the disease with personal confidence and courage. She also understands the tenacity of life and cherishes every moment by living in the present.
    She said, “People have been saying goodbye for the entire life. Learning to say goodbye is learning to accept.” After the four-year treatment, she said goodbye to the doctors and nurses. By studying hard for five months, she was admitted to her favorite Department of Creative Product Design, Asia University. At the same time, she transformed the experience of fighting against cancer into creativity and positive energy and graduated at the first place. In her painting works, the expectation of the children in the same ward can still be seen.
     Therefore, Lai turned the difficult part of treatment into the creative power. In the process, she received the blessings and assistance from many people, so she expected to pass on the happiness by helping other pediatric patients, their parents, and friends in deep plight walk through the dark tunnel in life and greet the bright future. She brought the happy colors to the cold white ward, conquering blood cancer and painting with love. The “blood cancer angle” stood out from 2893 recommended candidates and won “The 24^th Global Fervent Love of Lives Awards” given by Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural & Educational Foundation in 2021.
Sail out of the ICU Isolated Island
    In the summer vacation of the first year in senior high school, she didn’t get well from a cold after going to three clinics. Through the blood test, she found the abnormal blood count. The doctor suggested Lai’s parents that she should be hospitalized immediately. Afterwards, her mother suspended her school, and she started the chemotherapy lasting for four years.
    After Lai had the checkup at Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, the doctor told them the result. Her parents’ serious facial expressions and hesitant speech made her think of “cancer.” She felt unreal about the news like a shocking thunder.
     After Lai was diagnosed with the acute lymphoblastic leukemia, she had the red blood cells and platelets transfusion. However, the body rejection made her face swell. Afterwards, the parents hoped Lai to have the better care, so they transferred her to Taichung Veterans General Hospital to receive the more professional treatment.
    The following treatment proceeded at Taichung Veterans General Hospital. She had the first “artificial blood vessel” and the first “Epirubicin,” experienced the first hair loss, and even entered the “ICU.”
    Lai recalled a song she liked to listen to most when she was transferred to the ICU because of acute pneumonia. The lyric said, “Before leaving the world, everything is a process. It is not difficult to live. The most difficult is to be yourself.” The visiting time was only thirty minutes every day. She almost faced life alone and even had to survive with a respirator. It was as if she were the only one left in the world.
     After several days, Lai was back to the general ward. She said, “It was like boarding a safe boat from the isolated island. It was a long journey, and I was waiting for the day to reach the land.”
Expect Rebirth
    Chemotherapy results in the discomfort beyond description as if tens of thousands of ants were biting. It is a process where both body and mind are invaded and destroyed by chemicals. The pains from bone marrow puncture, pains and nausea from lumbar puncture, side effects from medicine, mental adaptation and emotional fluctuation were all hard to bear.
    Despite repeated vomiting, penetrating pain, difficult breath, and even shock in the process, Lai still held an open and active attitude to face it and finally conquered cancer with personal confidence and courage. Realizing the tenacity of life, she cherishes every moment by living in the present.
     When Lai joined in the gatherings in the hospital for the first time, the social worker encouraged the patients to show their talent. Some told stories, and some sang and danced. She chose to share her creative works by giving out her handmade non-woven fabric ornaments.
     Lai said there were students from the different departments in the ward. Most of them suspended school to receive treatment. It is not an easy thing to find some fun in the hospital, so the students in the ward would play the tabletop games, do arts and crafts, spend holidays, have hearty talks, accompany and cheer up each other as if they were at a class reunion.
    She said, “The medical treatment is indeed important. But the mental health should also be valued.” The patients in the same ward fighting against the disease together, family, and friends are her mental support. Wherever they come from, health is their heart’s desire in hospital, and rebirth is the most sincere wish.
Golden Ribbon Warrior
    Besides the medical care, the children’s cancer ward of Taichung Veterans General Hospital also offers social and mental care and economic support, giving health and hope to the pediatric patients and bringing happy colors to the cold white wards.
    Before Children’s Day in 2019, Taichung Veterans General Hospital collaborated with Childhood Cancer Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and Dr. Rednose to organize a warm and touching painting exhibition for children with cancer, “Comeback Wins with Love: Golden Ribbon Warrior,” inviting all cancer warriors to show their unique process of fighting against cancer and living a bright life through the talent such as dancing and painting.
    One of the participants was Lai Yun-zhu, who expressed her courage to fight against cancer through the splendid colors in her paintings.
    Chairman of Childhood Cancer Foundation, Lin Dong-can, said there are about 500 children facing a new outbreak of cancer every year. They experience all kinds of difficulties and trials as if gold were refined with the sparkling life tenacity and thickness in the burning flame. Therefore, they are specially called “golden ribbon warriors.”
     The consultant doctor of Childhood Cancer Foundation and the director of Pediatric Blood Division of Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Huang Fang-liang said, “There are more than fifty children with the different cancer treated and traced in the hospital every year. The team hopes to help them through the best treatment to recover their health early and smile again.”
If There Is Tomorrow
    Seven years has passed since the summer when she was diagnosed with blood cancer. She survived from more than one thousand days of chemotherapy. The tracing work has lasted for five years until this June (2020). Her dream is not only to paint, design, and travel. Lai said, “My dream is to grasp every stage to do what I want to do and walk my own way.”
    She also said, “If there is tomorrow, I will cherish everything as usual, cherish myself and everyone who loves me and stays by my side.”
Lai Yun-Zhu’s Works Approved
I. Composition Contest Awards

    

    
    
    
    
    
    
    


    
    
    

    

 

 

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