Chuan Mao Car chief executive Ho Chuan-sheng (何川盛) has volunteered for the past six years with the Sunshine Foundation, seeking to provide hope to other oral cancer patients.
“Being diagnosed with cancer is not a straight death sentence. I am willing to share what I have learned, if they want to listen,” said Ho, who was diagnosed with stage 4 tongue cancer at the age of 54 after being hospitalized for injuries suffered in a car accident.
Ho said he had been extremely worried about how he would communicate after doctors had to remove his tongue, because talking had been key to his career and life.
“At the time I really thought about just dying,” he said.
However, shortly after he removed his nasogastric tube because he wanted to die, his psychological condition improved and he was able to sleep, felt much better about life and no longer wished to commit suicide, he said.
Over the next three years he took lessons in ventriloquism and sound correction courses to help him communicate, Ho said.
Ho said he started selling cars when he was 23, and he had to be able to schmooze with civil servants and teachers, who made up the bulk of his customers, as well as maintain good relations with mechanics, other salespeople and Department of Motor Vehicles officials.
“It was talking that enabled me to sell an average of 10 cars a month,” said Ho, who started his own dealership with a friend at age 29.
Ho contacted the Sunshine Foundation after his surgery, looking for help with sound correction, and then, after seeing a female ventriloquist perform on a television show, sought her out to teach him ventriloquism.
Chuang Li-chen (莊麗真), director of the foundation’s Yunlin-Chiayi branch, said hospitals usually arranged for therapists to work with patients who have had surgery to remove their tongue or other parts of their mouth because of cancer.
However, many patients cannot come to terms with the psychological and physical trauma caused by such surgery, which sometimes damages facial features or leaves them unable to eat and drink normally, he said.
Ho is a very rare individual, and he has given more than 10 talks to schools and organizations about his experience, Chuang said.
Ho published a book about his experiences last year and he gives away copies to oral cancer patients in the hope of inspiring them.
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