Tainan's St. Lucy Center, a home to thousands of abused children, child prostitutes and unwed mothers, celebrated its 20th anni-versary yesterday.
Over the past 20 years, the founder of the center, Carmela Huang (
Many adoptive families of the center's children joined in the anniversary celebrations.
More than 30 foreign adoptive couples from the US, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and other Asian countries attended the event.
Huang, aged 70 and struggling with lung cancer and paralysis, said the center's achievements are not her own.
"I must thank all volunteers and doctors who have helped these babies and unwed mothers," Huang said.
In the 1980s, unplanned pregnancies and abortions were prevalent in Taiwan. Huang, a devout Catholic, established the center in 1982 as she campaigned against abortions and strived to help unwanted babies.
More than 1,000 unwed mothers have found shelter in the center since its establishment.
"In my mother's mind, every child is innocent," said Jiang Jye (
"Many people think babies born by unwed mothers can never be good," Jiang said.
"But my mother has proved that as long as babies can be given environments of love, almost all of them become obedient and smart children," Jiang added.
But while hundreds of babies and children have been helped, Huang's health is deteriorating.
Huang was diagnosed with lung cancer two years ago. She is now in the terminal stage of the illness.
"My greatest concern now is the future of the 60 babies in the center," Huang said, adding that she hopes she can find suitable adoptive families for the babies.
"I want to interview all prospective adoptive parents personally," she said.
Huang was born while Taiwan was still under Japanese occupation. A graduate of Taiwan's most prestigious female teachers' colleges, Huang speaks fluent Japanese.
She converted to Catholicism while in college.
She married a mainlander, a court scrivener, at the age of 22.
In 1980, Pope John Paul received Huang at the Vatican for her contributions to the anti-abortion campaign in Taiwan.
Huang accompanied Mother Teresa on her visit to Taiwan in 1985. During the visit, Huang helped Mother Teresa establish a charity dedicated to care for the elderly.
Huang's dedication to children and unwed mothers also won the recognition of the Chou Ta-kuan Cultural and Education Foundation, an organization set up for the promotion of the humanities.
The foundation originally planned to award Huang with a Fervent Love of Lives Medal on May 25, the Fervent Global Love of Lives Day, next year.
However, because Huang's lung cancer is worsening, the foundation decided to present her with the medal last Monday.
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