An elderly woman from Orchid Island (蘭嶼) finally got her dying wish on Monday when she was flown from Taitung County to her birthplace to spend her final days at home.
A member of Orchid Island’s Tao tribe, the 87-year-old woman, surnamed Lee (李) in Chinese, was flown to the island aboard a chartered Daily Air Corp helicopter at about 4pm on Monday in the company of her daughter.
The 30-minute flight was made possible by the efforts of Taitung County Commissioner Justin Huang (黃健庭), Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lai Kun-cheng (賴坤成), who represents the county, and others.
Lee, who had been receiving care in a hospital in Taitung, tried to return home over the weekend by ferry, but the ferry operator refused to accept her because of her condition.
Daily Air agreed on Monday to transport Lee to Orchid Island before collecting for the charter, which cost NT$450,000 (US$15,400).
Huang signed his name to endorse the deal.
Huang raised the money online after first donating NT$50,000.
The matter was particularly pressing for Lee because of the tribe’s unique burial customs.
According to a folklore culture worker, the Tao (also known as the Yami tribe) consider one’s passing an “evil” or “cursed” death if a person dies while traveling or in a place other than his or her birthplace.
It is also the tribe’s tradition to have the deceased buried on the same day of his or her death, during the daytime, which would have been impossible for Lee had she died in Taitung County.
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