Let’s head now to Taichung, to meet a man whose life has been upturned – by almost losing it, not once, but three times. After a surgical operation, Mr. Chuang was in recovery, when his real ordeal began. His heart began to beat irregularly, which can cause brain damage or death. His dedicated medical team were all hands on deck to save him. He’s now on the mend, and after coming so close to the edge, life feels like a gift again.

Mr. Chuang walks down the corridor, with his stick in one hand and his wife’s hand in the other. He’s steady on his feet and smiling broadly. I guess we’d all be if we’d come back from death’s door three times.

Mr. Chuang
Patient
While I was on the bed, I could just about vaguely tell that my wife and child were outside. My family was outside, constantly calling to me, saying I must hang in there and not give up.

Mr. Chuang recounts his brush with death. The 51-year-old could hear his family calling to him, and drew strength from the encouraging words of his medical team.

Mr. Chuang
Patient
Our attending physician gave me three electric shocks. He gave it everything. He didn’t give up. He didn’t let me go.

Dr. Shen Ping-hung
Kuang Tien General Hospital
During emergency care, the patient’s heart did not show signs of what we’d call a heart attack. So it was a rather unusual kind of cardiac emergency.

Mr. Chuang had just emerged from an operation to remove the lymph nodes in his neck, as well as a tumor on his tongue. Then the arrhythmia of his heart began. The medical team administered CPR for the first arrhythmia, and stabilized his vitals. But six hours later, it happened again. He was in ER for 50 minutes that time. Then again, a third arrythmia and another hour in emergency care. At one point, doctors feared he might lose his brain function.

Dr. Huang Shih-chung
Kuang Tien General Hospital
My colleagues are all excellent at this high-quality CPR technique. So it seems that through it all, there was no point at which his brain was lacking oxygen. Mr. Chuang also has a very strong will to live, which is why the final result is so perfect.

It seems like Mr. Chuang’s time in this life isn’t up yet. He sent his medical team flowers to thank them for his fresh start. After an ordeal like that, life will never be the same again.

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