20091203 Immune disease sufferer makes donation.wmv

Immune disease sufferer makes donation

Coming up, two stories about people learning to live with adversity. In a moment, we'll go to Singapore to meet (盧子乾)Lu Ziqian's family, who are winning their battle against financial debt, disability and depression. But first, we take you to Tzu Chi's service center in Sichuan, which recently received a donation from local resident Yang Xingping (楊興萍). The 21-year-old suffers from an incurable autoimmune disease. She first met Tzu Chi after the China earthquake last year, and later, Yang visited Tzu Chi in Luoshui, bringing 200 Renminbi, that was given to her by a kindhearted person to help her get treatment. Instead of pocketing the money, Yang decided to give it to Tzu Chi.

Scleroderma taught Yang gratitude
Who shelters you from the rain? And brings you food when you come home hungry?

Yang Xingping wrote this song herself. Ever since she developed scleroderma at the age of ten, her mother has toiled to look after her.

Sichuan resident, Yang Xingping:
"Why am I sick? Why do I have this condition? But if it weren't for this condition, if my parents wouldn't have divorced, and if my mother and I hadn't been through all this, I would not have experienced the great love and warmth of humanity, or become appreciative of my parents."

Working hard to make ends meet
The pair of atrophied hands on this 21-year-old have worked at the mines and scavenged for metal scraps on the street.

Sichuan resident, Yang Xingping:
"I worked as a trash picker. I looked for nails and collected them one by one. I could only pick up a few, and when I collected a lot, it just got me a few cents."

Donation of love
Yang gets only 100 Renminbi of government disabled grant every month, but she is surprisingly generous. She is donating 200 Renminbi to Tzu Chi. She says the money was from another kind-hearted person, who set out to help her. Instead of taking the cash, she is giving it to temples and Tzu Chi. She still remembers the warmth she received from volunteers after last year's earthquake.

Sichuan resident, Yang Xingping:
"A volunteer gave me a Tzu Chi lunch box as a souvenir. The container reminds me of the people of Taiwan. So my donation is just a little token of appreciation. I want to give it to the disaster victims in Taiwan."

Rich in heart
Singing with volunteers, Yang Xingping's heart is rich with compassion and gratitude. Her sincerity and contribution powerfully affect those around her, because she is yet another shining example of someone who is poor but spiritually wealthy.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

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• Tzu
• Chi