Who’s come to help gran!

This year in Minxiong Township, Chiayi County Zheng Cai Jin-Zhi (鄭蔡金枝) is 72 years old. Twenty years ago after suffering from uterine cancer she received a series of chemotherapy treatments, which managed to bring the cancer under control. Unfortunately, side effects from the treatment caused elephantoid oedema in both her legs and lower extremities, making mobility difficult. After trying every possible option and literally at her wits end, a friend of Zheng Cai Jin-Zhi suggested she visit a certain temple in Lunbei Township, Yunlin County and receive a religious folk remedy. The remedy used blessed ash from the Matsu god’s incense burner, which was smeared on areas of pain on her feet – this therapy lasted for more than ten years!

Zheng Cai Jin-Zhi is now under the care of The New Womanhood Association (華山基金會) in Minxiong. Lin Ya-Ru, head of the Minxiong office said: “Zheng Cai Jin-Zhi currently lives alone, so with her legs in this condition mobility is a real problem. Volunteers from the office make daily visits to deliver necessities and recently we also managed to raise funds that will help provide a wheelchair to improve her mobility. Unfortunately, however, with regards to Zheng Cai Jin-Zhi’s medical condition, we lack the funds to provide the necessary assistance. It is hoped that members of society will provide the much-needed succor to alleviate the elephantoid oedema in Zheng Cai Jin-Zhi’s legs.

Tsai Zheng-Han (蔡政翰), head of the Emergency Ward at Taichong Veterans General Hospital（台中榮民醫院), Chiayi Branch said: “Taiwanese people have a habit of visiting temples, where they pray to the gods, asking for cures to medical problems and to have fortunes told. For medical problems, however, they are often given blessed ash from the temple’s incense burner; this ash contains cadmium, lead and other heavy metals. If one spends a lot of time near the rising spirals of incense smoke, smears incense ash on one’s wounds, or uses ‘blessed’ water, then it is quite possible you will suffer from heavy-metal poisoning.” Tsai Zheng-Han, a specialist in handling poisoning, poisoning disasters, emergency medicine and critical care treatment said that with the current standard of Taiwanese medicine, it should not be difficult to find out the source of the disease. In a special appeal to his Taiwanese countrymen, he asked everyone to remember that medical treatment must be taken step-by-step, and that making good use of current health care resources is the appropriate means of action. He also reminded everyone that in order not to incur serious medical consequences and be left with a lifetime of regret, people should stay clear of roadside charlatans.

PeoPo 公民新聞

Who’s come to help gran!
URL: http://www.peopo.org/news/101353

(以下是中文對照)

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誰來幫幫象腳阿媽！ 影音 ( 公義使者 )

嘉義縣民雄鄉現年72歲的鄭蔡金枝阿媽，20年前因為罹患子宮癌，接受一連串化學治療，病情雖然受到控制，但也因為化療引起的副作用，造成二腳不明原因的腫脹，致其雙腿下肢腫如象腳，難以行動。在病急亂投醫的情況下，鄭蔡金枝阿媽在友人的建議慫恿下，遠赴雲林縣崙背鄉某神壇，接受坊間宗教民俗療法，向媽祖請求賜予「爐丹(香灰)」塗抹雙腳疼痛處，且一抹就是十幾年。

鄭蔡金枝阿媽目前是華山基金會民雄站的關懷戶，該站林雅如站長表示：阿媽目前獨居，由於雙腳不良於行，平日都是由該站志工輪流至阿媽住處進行訪視關懷，站裡會致贈一些營養品，補充阿媽的營養，近日也幫阿媽勸募到一台輪椅，以利其行動，但對於阿媽雙腳的問題，華山民雄站目前並無力與以協助，期盼社會各界能伸出援手，幫幫象腳阿媽。

台中榮民醫院嘉義分院急診室主任蔡政翰表示：台灣民眾習慣到廟宇燒香求神、求藥、求籤，其中最普遍的是求「爐丹(香灰)」，但其實「香」是含有鎘、鉛等金屬成份的，民眾若長期生活在香煙裊裊的環境，或使用其燃燒的灰燼塗抹傷口或參水食用，都可能造成金屬中毒。蔡政翰主任專長中毒處理、毒化災處置、急診醫學及重症醫學，他說：以台灣的醫療水準要找出病源應該不是什麼困難的事，他特別呼籲國人，醫療還是循序漸進，善用醫療資源，會是比較妥適的方式，至於坊間的江湖術士，還是別輕易嚐試，以免遭致嚴重後果。

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