Give Love, Donate Life

Charles Gau 高朝淮

"As I look back, even though he is gone, the fact that his organs are continuing to help someone else live a good life makes it feel that he is not really gone. Instead, part of him is still alive, still here with me and my family on earth," said Charles Gau, father of an organ donor.

The 73-year-old Gau said, "from my experience, I want people to know that death does not mean an end to life. Organ donation can help your family establish a legacy of the loved one who is no longer around. What is important is for people to understand what it means to be a donor and how comforting it has been to my family to know that we made a gift of love on his behalf."

In 2002, Gau's only son, Ardy, died unexpectedly, he was 32. During their difficult time of emotional turmoil, the Charles and his wife Lily Gaus agreed to donate Ardy’s organs, a liver and two kidneys, and saved three lives. Tzu Chi was there to help with emotional and spiritual support.

The Gau's story didn't end there. Charles' 70-year-old younger brother, who was diagnosed with hepetitis B and later developed into cirrhosis, needed a liver transplant. He was put on the recipient waiting list. Fortunately, he found his matching donor in a month and now he's living a healthy life in Atlanta, GA. "I believe in karma, this is the best reward I get since donating my son's organs," said Gau.

With a common goal of saving lives through organ, eye and tissue donation, the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO), which represents all 58 federally-designated organ recovery agencies in the U.S., signed an agreement with a highly respected, international Buddhist charitable organization, Tzu Chi Medical Foundation today, to strengthen the existing relationship between OPOs and 80 Tzu Chi offices nationwide.

Debra Boudreaux 曾慈慧(l-r), Tom Mone 孟穆堂,
William Keh 葛濟捨 signing the MOU

This is the first agreement of its kind in the organ recovery arena between a major international relief group and American organ recovery agencies. Under the agreement, AOPO and its members, may provide informational and educational resources on organ, eye and tissue donation education to the Tzu Chi leadership and its community members; help train key leaders and members about donation; and incorporate Tzu Chi in donor registry programs to increase Asian and Buddhist registration rates. Tzu Chi, will provide education training to their members to promote donor registration in the United States; as well as provide support to donor families in hospitals with culturally appropriate services.

Tzu Chi, considered the largest non-governmental agency in the Chinese community, has worked with OneLegacy, the organ and tissue recovery agency serving the seven counties around Los Angeles, to offer community volunteer training and providing charity, medical assistance and grief support to those in need, regardless of race or religion. "The cultural and language support given by the Tzu Chi community to Buddhist and Chinese-speaking families has been invaluable," said Tom Mone, CEO and vice president of OneLegacy.


Melissa Choi 蔡金儀

"Organ donation is one of the greatest acts of compassion, the ultimate final act for an individual at the end of one's life," said Debra Boudreaux, CEO of the Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, quoting the Master Cheng Yen's teaching. "We only have the right to use our lives, not the right to own them. When one dies, one's body can no longer serve its purpose and is either cremated or buried. Those who agree to donation hope to pass their healthy organs on to others so they may continue to function and support the living. Through organ donation, a body that might have been buried will instead benefit and save many lives. Such acts of giving are enormously worthwhile."

Melissa Choi, daughter of full body donor, and Robert Chan, a liver trasplant recipient who just celebrated his 13th anniversary of 'new life,' were at the press conference and shared their stories.

代表美國聯邦政府指定58所器官捐贈機構的全國器官捐贈組織（AOPO），今天與佛教慈濟醫療基金會簽訂協議，推動一項全國性計畫，將南加州的教育模式推廣至慈濟全美80個會所所在地。這是器官捐贈界首度由一個國際救援團體與美國首要的器官捐贈機構簽訂協議。根據此協議，慈濟將設立「親善大使」計畫，在全美的亞裔社區推廣器官、眼睛與組織的捐贈。

南加州器官捐贈協會執行長孟穆堂（Tom Mone）稱慈濟是「重要的社區伙伴」。他說：「經由此一全國性協議，我們很榮幸能把慈濟尊重生命的人文帶到全美器官捐贈社區。」


曾慈慧（左起）、孟穆堂、葛濟捨在簽署合作協議，
未來可以更有系統地在華人社區推動器官捐贈活動。

執行此一新協議，慈濟將能啟發並教育全美的亞裔社區捐贈器官的觀念。慈濟醫療基金會執行長曾慈慧引述證嚴法師的教誨說：「器官捐贈是慈悲至極的表現；我們對生命只有使用權，沒有所有權。人一旦往生，肉體失去功能，就被火化或埋葬。同意捐贈器官的人希望把健康的器官傳給需要的人，讓器官繼續發揮功能、支持生命。透過器官捐贈，一個本來要被埋葬的肉體，卻能挽救許多生命。這種布施善行是值得敬佩的。

慈濟多年來協助加州的器官捐贈者與受贈者。73歲的高朝淮在回憶2002年獨生子Ardy猝逝的往事時數度哽咽，一度堅持兒子要「全屍入葬」的他，最後還是接受了家人勸導，在最哀慟的時候，同意捐贈兒子的肝臟和腎臟，拯救了三個生命。

高朝淮說：「回想起來，雖然孩子往生了，知道他的器官仍幫別人好好活著，讓我覺得他並沒有離開；他有一部份生命還在、還與我和家人同在世間。根據我自己的經驗，我希望大家知道死亡並不意謂著生命的結束。器官捐贈可以幫助您的家庭，讓逝去的家人遺愛人間。」

相信福報的高朝淮接著透露，他70歲高齡並患有Ｂ型肝炎的弟弟，早前被診斷已惡化成肝硬化，必須接受移植才能改善病情。幸運的是在入院一個月之後，馬上就找到匹配的捐贈者，並順利完成移植手術，如今住在亞特蘭大的弟弟經常與他保持聯繫。他心存感恩地說，「這是九年來最大的回報，真的沒有想到好心好報這麼快就顯現出來。」

就讀富樂頓州大的蔡金儀（Melissa Choi）透露，8年前41歲的父親面臨腦死，當時才12歲的她和媽媽及8歲的妹妹棘手無策，但是在被詢及是否要作器官捐贈時，卻是忍著傷痛答應了。她認為父親的器官得以協助他人延續生命是一件神奇卻美好的事。

Robert Chan 陳思萱

從事保險經紀及移民保釋代理工作的陳思萱（Robert Chen）13年前接受往生者捐贈的一個腎臟，得以健康地存活在今天。他透露，接受移植前他每週必須洗腎三次，每次三小時，曾擔心見不到兩個當時才五歲與六歲的女兒長大。如今大女兒在哥倫比亞大學唸醫院管理，小女兒則在爾灣加大唸歷史系。他說：「我現在57歲，但是心境卻是像40多歲一樣，充滿活力。」他太太是慈濟委員，常在社區助念。

慈濟與南加州器官捐贈組織（OneLegacy）合作長達27年，撫慰不同種族和宗教信仰的器官捐贈者家屬，對需要的人提供慈善和醫療協助。2002年，南加州器官捐贈協會頒發「生命橋樑獎」給慈濟創始人證嚴法師，表彰他在亞裔社區對捐贈器官與組織的重大貢獻。慈濟美國總會執行長葛濟捨也出席了當天的簽署合作協議儀式。