By Lai Yue-hong, Wu Hui-li, and Chen Hui-yu
Translated by Wu Hsiao-ting
Photos by Lin Qun-jie
Stem cell donors and recipients come together in a celebration of hope, healing, and life-saving compassion.
Chen Chang-long (right) shares a heartfelt embrace with his donor, Zou Yi-qing. After waiting six years, he finally had the chance to meet her and express his gratitude in person.
When Chen Chang-long (陳昌隆) learned that he had cancer, one thought flashed through his mind: “I just pray Heaven lets me live a little longer; if I must go, let it be after my parents.” Unmarried, optimistic, and deeply devoted to his parents, his greatest fear upon receiving the diagnosis was causing them the unbearable pain of losing a child.
Reflecting on his journey, Chen recalled how he began suffering from troubling symptoms in early 2016, just before Chinese New Year: a rash, severe itching, dizziness, and diarrhea. He consulted doctors from various specialties—dermatology, nephrology, neurology, rheumatology, and hematology—but after seeing seven doctors, the cause of his illness remained a mystery. Each visit left him feeling disheartened, wondering where his true adversary lay hidden.
Eventually, a bone marrow biopsy revealed that he was suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome, a type of cancer in which the bone marrow fails to produce enough healthy blood cells. Although the diagnosis was serious, he didn’t feel overly saddened; instead, a sense of relief settled in—at least he finally knew what he was up against. Chemotherapy and targeted therapies began in August 2017, but they proved ineffective. His doctor then recommended a hematopoietic stem cell transplant, and fortunately, a matching donor was found. Chen underwent a conditioning regimen and received the transplant in March 2018. (A conditioning regimen is a rigorous pre-transplant treatment to prepare one’s body for the procedure.)
A few weeks after the transplant, he suffered severe rejection, marked by excruciating headaches, jaundice, and other liver complications. High doses of steroids were needed to stabilize his condition, which resulted in side effects such as hand tremors, blackened nails, swelling, and gum inflammation. When a kidney infection required a CT scan, the contrast agent injected before the scan triggered a life-threatening allergic reaction, requiring four doses of epinephrine to save his life. He also battled severe trigeminal shingles.
A year after his transplant, with rejection behind him except for some residual allergies, his health gradually improved. Now back on his feet, he was eager to meet his donor and express his gratitude. He wrote to the Tzu Chi Stem Cell Center, which had helped him find a match, hoping for a chance to meet his donor. However, due to privacy regulations, he had to wait longer before fulfilling his wish.
Jian Cong-liang (right) presents a card, written by him and his family, to Chen Zheng-bin as a gesture of gratitude for his life-saving stem cell donation.
A long-awaited meeting
On October 18, 2024, Chen traveled from Taichung, central Taiwan, to New Taipei City. The next day, he went to the Tzu Chi Sanchong Campus for a donor-recipient gathering hosted by the Tzu Chi Stem Cell Center. It had been six years of waiting, but the time had finally come for Chen to meet his donor.
The moment that Chen had eagerly anticipated arrived—it was his turn to go on stage. Seeing his donor, Zou Yi-qing (鄒宜青), for the first time, he smiled shyly and, with encouragement from the host, embraced her joyfully. Zou said that seeing him so healthy finally put her mind at ease. Full of gratitude, Chen shared how fortunate he felt to have found a matching donor.
Zou’s own journey to this moment had started 14 years earlier, when she signed up as a donor. Even so, she initially hesitated when she was contacted and informed that she was a match for a potential recipient. She wasn’t sure about the process, but after learning it was similar to donating blood, and after receiving support from her family, she decided to proceed, knowing she might be Chen’s only hope.
When Chen learned at the gathering that Zou had felt unwell during her donation at Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, his heart went out to her. Zou explained that at the time, she knew Chen had already completed his conditioning regimen and was waiting in a sterile room for the transplant. There was no turning back—she could only hope for his survival. Thankfully, she fully recovered and remained as healthy as before.
Following the transplant, Chen’s blood type changed from A to O, and he noticed that he had become more cheerful than before. He now regularly donates to charities as a way to honor Zou’s kindness, feeling that, because of her, he gained a deeper understanding of selfless love. Zou, in turn, told him, “Because of you, I was able to achieve something extraordinary. Thank you for staying strong and surviving.”
A gift of life
During the gathering, seven donor-recipient pairs shared their stories on stage. The event also honored 81 individuals who had donated their stem cells between July 2023 and June 2024. Each donor received a medal as a token of gratitude for their incredible generosity.
Over the past 31 years, the Tzu Chi Stem Cell Center has facilitated over 6,800 transplants across 31 countries and regions. Of these, over 3,300 donations benefited patients in Taiwan, while more than 3,400 helped those in other parts of the world. With odds of just one in 100,000, finding a non-familial match is as difficult as searching for a needle in a haystack. This life-saving mission is made possible by the dedication of Tzu Chi volunteers, who recruit potential donors, and the donors themselves, who selflessly step forward to give the gift of life.
In 2018, Chen Zheng-bin (陳政彬), then 28, received an unexpected call informing him he had matched with a patient in critical need of stem cells. “Honestly, I thought it was a scam!” he admitted, having forgotten he had joined the donor registry while in high school. Persistent follow-ups from volunteers eventually jogged his memory, but misconceptions—such as the belief that donation involved painful bone marrow extraction—gave him pause.
After receiving explanations from volunteers and conducting his own research, Chen learned that the procedure was much simpler than he had imagined. It involved receiving granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) injections to stimulate stem cell production, followed by a procedure similar to donating blood to collect peripheral blood stem cells.
Understanding that his donation could save a life, Chen agreed without further hesitation. His family wholeheartedly supported his decision. To ensure his stem cells were in optimal condition, he adopted a healthier lifestyle, avoiding late nights and exercising regularly. Because the recipient was physically larger, Chen’s donation required two sessions—eight hours on the first day and four hours on the second. Despite the lengthy process, he felt no discomfort and even described the experience as relaxing, likening it to a brief vacation from his busy work schedule.
The recipient, Jian Cong-liang (簡聰良), 21 years Chen’s senior, experienced only mild rejection symptoms after the transplant. He was immensely grateful after regaining his health, and now celebrates two birthdays every year: his actual birthday and April 24, the day of his life-saving transplant. His brush with death profoundly changed his outlook on life. “I used to stress about earning enough money to provide material comforts for my children,” he said. “Now, I’m more relaxed and philosophical, realizing that nothing is more precious than life itself.”
Jian, from Taiwan, had lived in Suzhou, China, for many years due to work, where he married and started a family. In January 2018, his life took an unexpected turn when he developed puzzling symptoms and returned to Taiwan for medical care. He was shocked when he was diagnosed with severe aplastic anemia. His doctor recommended a stem cell transplant. Jian, who had been healthy up to that point and rarely needed medical attention, agreed to the procedure.
For Jian, the diagnosis brought with it immense uncertainty: “Will I find a match? What will happen to my young children if I don’t?” Throughout the ordeal, his family was his greatest source of strength, supporting him through the uncertainty and rigorous treatment.
Fortunately, just two months after he opted for a transplant, the Tzu Chi Stem Cell Center found him a donor with a perfect match. When Jian met Chen at the October 19 gathering, he presented him with a heartfelt card, in which he had written: “Though I faced great misfortune [by falling seriously ill], I am also incredibly fortunate. Your generosity gave me a second chance at life during my darkest hour.”
Since his donation, Chen has remained in excellent health, with regular follow-ups confirming his well-being. He often shares his story to inspire others to register as donors. Encouraged by his example, both his sister and wife have joined the registry. Speaking about his experience, Chen said, “I’m so glad the recipient survived. Saving his life is one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever done.”
Recently, his perspective deepened when his mother was diagnosed with cancer, allowing him to better empathize with recipients and their families. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to donate six years before, realizing it might have been his only chance to save a life. He was truly happy he had seized it.
Painter Liu Feng-lai (fifth from right) conveys her appreciation to her donor, Zeng Hui-ping (third from left), by gifting her a traditional Chinese painting of flowers and birds that she had created herself.
Fueling life-saving efforts
Zeng Hui-ping (曾惠平) received notice of a successful preliminary match 16 years after registering her blood sample in Taipei. Over those years, she had changed jobs several times and moved south to Taichung. To contact her, Tzu Chi volunteers waited outside the building where her parents lived, as there was no doorbell. Luckily, they caught her sister-in-law as she was leaving, and she called Zeng to inform her: “Two Tzu Chi sisters are looking for you.”
When Zeng learned that the recipient’s genes might be influenced by hers—potentially changing his or her hair texture and blood type—she was deeply moved and cried, feeling as though she were gaining a new “baby.” She experienced no side effects during the G-CSF injections, and with the encouragement and support of her friends and family, she felt truly blessed.
Zeng’s “baby” turned out to be 68-year-old painter Liu Feng-lai (劉豐來), who held her fifth exhibition in September 2024. Liu’s entire family attended the gathering to personally thank Zeng—a moment Liu herself had eagerly awaited for six years. At every follow-up appointment after her transplant, Liu would ask, “When can I meet my donor?” During the gathering, even before discovering Zeng was her match, Liu instinctively sensed it. When the two finally embraced, Zeng said, “You’ve done great!” Fighting back tears, Liu replied, “Without you, I wouldn’t be here with my family.”
Liu had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in March 2017. None of her three sisters were a match, so she was deeply grateful to find one in Zeng, which allowed her to continue pursuing her passion for art and living a full, vibrant life.
Initially, Zeng’s mother was worried about her daughter’s decision to donate and even considered urging her to reconsider during their train ride to Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital for the procedure. However, after seeing how the doctors and Tzu Chi volunteers safeguarded not just the recipient’s but also the donor’s well-being, her concerns eased. Now, six years later, she feels proud of her daughter’s wise, admirable decision.
“At first, I didn’t understand why such a wonderful act [stem cell donation] wasn’t shared more online,” Zeng remarked. Motivated by this realization, she began documenting her donation experience and post-donation health updates on her blog and social media. Her aim was to promote the cause and help future donors prepare both mentally and physically.
Currently, the Tzu Chi Stem Cell Center has over 483,000 registered donors. However, half of them are over 55 and nearing the end of their eligibility. New donor registrations have also declined, and fewer than half of matched donors agree to donate. Compounding these challenges is Taiwan’s declining birth rate, which has reduced the likelihood of family-member matches. These factors make expanding the database of unrelated donors more critical than ever.
Relieving great pain takes immense love. Between January and October 2024 alone, more than 1,100 individuals sought donor matching services through the Tzu Chi Stem Cell Center. This database, made up of voluntary donors, is a vital lifeline for patients. You might hold the key to saving someone’s life. Be the hope a patient is waiting for.
