WEBVTT

00:25.658 --> 00:27.727
My wife and I studied in the US.

00:27.727 --> 00:28.828
She majored in Neurosciences

00:28.828 --> 00:30.430
I majored in Immunology.

00:30.563 --> 00:31.398
After I graduated,

00:31.398 --> 00:32.532
I completed my postdoc research.

00:32.532 --> 00:33.566
and I wanted to return to Taiwan.

00:33.967 --> 00:35.335
Of course, my family was opposed to the idea.

00:35.335 --> 00:36.403
Because at that time most of the people

00:36.403 --> 00:38.004
wanted to stay in the US

00:38.004 --> 00:39.706
in the era of 1982.

00:40.140 --> 00:41.374
Since I originally

00:41.374 --> 00:42.742
grew up in Taiwan

00:42.742 --> 00:43.710
I should give back to my native land.

00:44.077 --> 00:46.246
The US has plenty of Doctors,

00:46.246 --> 00:47.247
while passionate educators

00:47.247 --> 00:48.948
were scarcely seen in Taiwan.

00:50.683 --> 00:52.018
Around 2002,

00:52.018 --> 00:53.353
an idea came to me.

00:53.353 --> 00:54.687
Since stem cell is important

00:54.687 --> 00:55.588
and cord blood is something

00:55.889 --> 00:57.357
that is going to be thrown away.

00:57.357 --> 00:58.091
However, if cord blood can be stored

00:58.091 --> 01:00.226
lots of thing can be done.

01:00.627 --> 01:02.429
The gene of indigenous people

01:02.429 --> 01:03.630
are different from us.

01:03.630 --> 01:05.165
If they are not aware of this information,

01:05.165 --> 01:05.665
and they did not store cord blood.

01:06.132 --> 01:07.367
Then, it might be unlikely for them

01:07.367 --> 01:09.235
to match stem cell with others.

01:09.235 --> 01:10.670
Therefore, I hope

01:10.670 --> 01:11.538
to establish a foundation

01:11.538 --> 01:13.106
to help them store stem cell for free.

01:13.406 --> 01:15.008
We’ve decided to carry out the project in Lanyu.

01:22.248 --> 01:24.884
Since 2004,

01:24.884 --> 01:26.453
I’ve brought students from Yang Ming

01:26.453 --> 01:27.921
to hold summer camp and

01:28.054 --> 01:29.055
to promote the cord blood campaign.

01:29.355 --> 01:31.057
And there seemed to be a case

01:31.191 --> 01:32.692
of homocystinuria.

01:33.393 --> 01:34.461
Homocystinuria is a genetic disorder,

01:34.461 --> 01:35.895
which is rarely seen in Taiwan.

01:35.995 --> 01:37.597
Why would it appear in this island?

01:37.831 --> 01:38.665
We then found out that

01:38.665 --> 01:40.233
it’s a common disorder here.

01:40.233 --> 01:42.035
Many people have this disorder.

01:46.773 --> 01:47.974
This phenomena

01:47.974 --> 01:49.275
is called Founder Effect.

01:49.275 --> 01:51.044
That is to say, if there is a

01:51.044 --> 01:52.445
genetic disorder in a place where

01:52.445 --> 01:54.380
consanguine marriage is popular

01:54.380 --> 01:55.448
such a disease will be locked

01:55.448 --> 01:57.517
inside the population.

01:57.517 --> 01:59.619
That means, gradually each family

02:00.186 --> 02:01.955
is going to have kids who get this disorder.

02:01.955 --> 02:03.323
It would influence the population greatly

02:03.323 --> 02:05.058
if they are unaware of the genetic disorder.

02:05.058 --> 02:06.659
That’s why we want to come here to see

02:06.659 --> 02:07.227
if it’s possible

02:07.227 --> 02:09.129
to prevent such a situation from happening.

02:10.063 --> 02:10.830
However, on one hand

02:10.830 --> 02:12.198
the people here were unfamiliar with the disease.

02:12.198 --> 02:13.833
On the other hand, they don’t quite trust us.

02:13.833 --> 02:15.735
They felt humiliated.

02:15.902 --> 02:17.470
Hence, I need to find

02:17.704 --> 02:18.938
influential people in Lanyu

02:18.938 --> 02:20.807
and explain that the reason of us being here

02:20.807 --> 02:22.442
has nothing to do with stigmatizing the population.

02:22.442 --> 02:24.277
But rather, to help them wholeheartedly.

02:24.611 --> 02:26.746
And the most important person in this project

02:26.746 --> 02:28.815
is Principal Syamen Womzas.

02:28.815 --> 02:29.983
Once he understood our plan,

02:29.983 --> 02:32.952
he helped promoting the campaign.

02:32.952 --> 02:33.920
All the elementary schools in the island

02:33.920 --> 02:35.021
cooperate with us.

02:35.021 --> 02:36.723
They learn how to acquire sample for hi-tech genetic test

02:36.723 --> 02:38.825
through brushing teeth,

02:38.825 --> 02:39.626
spitting, or plucking 3 strands of hair

02:40.160 --> 02:42.295
instead of through drawing blood.

02:42.395 --> 02:44.097
As expected, after the examination was done

02:44.430 --> 02:45.465
we found there were indeed

02:45.465 --> 02:48.034
plenty of children in this island that have this disorder.

02:52.839 --> 02:54.541
Now we want to keep the disorder in check.

02:54.541 --> 02:57.944
You have to cook for them and force them

02:57.944 --> 02:59.612
to eat more vegetables and less meat.

02:59.612 --> 03:01.814
My older child is in Taipei

03:02.782 --> 03:05.118
while the two younger ones remain here.

03:05.185 --> 03:06.920
Homocystinuria has many symptoms.

03:07.086 --> 03:07.887
It is caused by

03:08.354 --> 03:09.422
an inability to metabolize amino acid,

03:09.422 --> 03:11.991
Methionine,

03:11.991 --> 03:14.194
which results in an accumulation of homocysteine.

03:14.194 --> 03:15.695
When homocysteine accumulates,

03:15.695 --> 03:17.764
it causes a toxicity in every cell,

03:17.764 --> 03:19.732
which will lead to neuron degeneration,

03:20.166 --> 03:22.101
problems in bones,

03:22.101 --> 03:23.803
and eye diseases.

03:23.803 --> 03:26.406
In particular, it leads to a disorder of cardiovascular system.

03:26.406 --> 03:28.308
That’s why its patient has a high risk of having a stroke.

03:28.808 --> 03:29.676
In the beginning, when we told him that

03:29.676 --> 03:31.611
he had Homocystinuria

03:31.611 --> 03:33.046
and that he should take good care of himself.

03:33.046 --> 03:34.881
But he was strong and handsome at that time,

03:34.881 --> 03:36.316
he didn’t take our advice.

03:36.316 --> 03:38.785
Then the disorder in cardiovascular system came

03:38.785 --> 03:39.752
and he had a stroke.

03:39.752 --> 03:40.653
It was a dangerous situation

03:40.653 --> 03:44.157
so now his condition is rather unwell.

03:45.225 --> 03:48.161
We come visiting him every year.

04:09.082 --> 04:10.283
You’re going fishing?

04:10.817 --> 04:11.317
Yes.

04:14.187 --> 04:16.656
After I understand more about this island,

04:16.756 --> 04:18.958
I find that a lot of people here

04:18.958 --> 04:19.926
does have an eye disorder.

04:19.926 --> 04:20.927
But it’s not caused by Homocystinuria,

04:21.261 --> 04:23.496
it is Retinitis Pigmentosa

04:23.763 --> 04:25.665
and this seems to be an even more serious disorder.

04:25.798 --> 04:28.134
However, it is a complicated disease.

04:28.134 --> 04:30.336
We’ll have to wait until there’s a development

04:30.336 --> 04:31.804
in stem-cell therapy

04:31.804 --> 04:33.139
so that there can be more medical improvement

04:33.139 --> 04:34.674
to help treat the disease.

04:39.012 --> 04:41.180
I’ve been coming here for 10 to 20 years

04:41.180 --> 04:45.218
and I have befriended many people on this island.

04:45.218 --> 04:46.486
I continue to visit Lanyu.

04:46.486 --> 04:48.421
I also tell my students that they should visit here constantly

04:48.421 --> 04:49.355
rather than visiting just once.

04:49.355 --> 04:52.191
Students from MacKay join project initiated from Yang Ming.

04:52.191 --> 04:53.493
Now, National Taiwan University also joins the team.

04:53.793 --> 04:55.428
I personally think that completing a task

04:55.428 --> 04:57.964
will obviously require perseverance.

04:57.964 --> 04:59.098
Also, to pass down the duty.

04:59.932 --> 05:01.000
People in Lanyu often say that

05:01.000 --> 05:03.536
they want to pray for my longevity.

05:03.536 --> 05:04.804
I told them it’s simply impossible.

05:04.804 --> 05:06.873
Because if the project aims to operate on a long-term basis,

05:07.173 --> 05:08.708
my responsibility would be

05:08.708 --> 05:09.842
being a model who brings students to Lanyu

05:09.842 --> 05:11.744
to see the situation here for themselves.

05:11.744 --> 05:12.645
So, they would know that

05:12.912 --> 05:14.113
other than the mesmerizing scenery,

05:14.113 --> 05:15.548
there are plenty of deeper aspects that are in need

05:15.548 --> 05:16.516
of outside help in Lanyu.

05:17.116 --> 05:18.985
It might be the most underprivileged groups

05:18.985 --> 05:20.753
that people tend to ignore.

05:24.057 --> 05:25.291
Hi, Bao Gui

05:26.626 --> 05:27.660
we are here.

05:29.495 --> 05:31.097
I’ve never seen a sweet potato with such a size.

05:32.498 --> 05:33.599
It’s just large.

05:34.267 --> 05:35.501
Goats did this?

05:36.202 --> 05:37.637
Goats are terrible.

05:38.071 --> 05:38.638
Because,

05:38.638 --> 05:40.206
He is not our relatives and

05:40.206 --> 05:41.841
we are not his relatives

05:41.841 --> 05:43.209
why would he help us?

05:43.776 --> 05:46.145
And why would he bear our pressure.

05:46.412 --> 05:47.914
This is what I told my kid.

05:48.348 --> 05:50.650
My kid said: But Mom,

05:50.883 --> 05:53.152
each person has his own degree of caring for others.

05:53.152 --> 05:54.053
He is right.

05:54.053 --> 05:56.489
So, in my lifetime,

05:56.489 --> 05:58.257
I am forever grateful for what Prof. Chang has done.

06:00.960 --> 06:02.161
His is getting old,

06:02.161 --> 06:04.330
but he is still thinking about helping others.

06:04.330 --> 06:06.666
In the past,

06:06.666 --> 06:07.967
there was no one like him.

06:07.967 --> 06:09.702
Even though there are doctors in Lanyu,

06:09.702 --> 06:11.838
they can’t do what Prof. Chang has achieved.

06:13.806 --> 06:16.709
I think, for local people

06:16.709 --> 06:18.644
Prof. Chang doesn’t just bring in

06:18.644 --> 06:21.080
medical resources,

06:21.080 --> 06:22.949
but brings in his kind and caring heart onto the island.

06:22.949 --> 06:25.618
He cares about the need of other people

06:25.618 --> 06:27.987
and he made unconditional contributions.

06:31.924 --> 06:34.594
Looking past my own life,

06:34.594 --> 06:35.962
for the task that I should complete

06:36.195 --> 06:37.430
I seldom have regrets.

06:37.430 --> 06:39.031
I’ve gone an all-out-effort in completing

06:39.031 --> 06:39.966
the tasks that are possible to be achieved.

06:39.966 --> 06:40.666
This is how I answer to my responsibility

06:41.267 --> 06:43.169
in the best way I can.