Former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) yesterday called on members of the pan-green camp to raise money for Hung Mao-kun (洪茂坤), one of the founding members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who fell into financial difficulies after requiring expensive targeted therapy for liver cancer.
Hung was hospitalized in November last year to undergo Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) surgery to treat a liver tumor, often a precursor to liver cancer.
The surgery was not successful and cancer cells were discovered during hospitalization, said Hung, who left hospital after 97 days.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
By that time, the cancer cells had spread to his bones, he said, adding that electrotherapy “hurt like hell.”
Sources said that Hung’s wife had also been diagnosed with breast cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy.
Hung was a confidential secretary to Lu when Lu was Taoyuan County commissioner from 1997 until 2000, and was encouraged by Lu to get his doctorate.
Lu, accompanied by DPP Taipei City Councilor Chiang Chih-ming (江志銘), visited Hung at his residence yesterday. She said she was startled at how thin Hung had become.
There have been great medical advances in modern times and Hung should continue treatment as soon as possible, Lu told Hung, adding that willpower was most important when one was sick.
“It is very hard to see Hung like this, because he would often stump for the DPP wherever the DPP had elections,” Lu said.
Now that Hung has liver cancer, he needs help from everyone, she said.
Asked how he was going to pay for the medical bills, Hung said: “We’ll see.”
Lu gave Hung a red envelope before leaving.
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff Writer
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday called for greater cooperation between Taiwan, Lithuania and the EU to counter threats to information security, including attacks on undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. In a speech at Vilnius University in the Lithuanian capital, Tsai highlighted recent incidents in which vital undersea cables — essential for cross-border data transmission — were severed in the Taiwan Strait and the Baltic Sea over the past year. Taiwanese authorities suspect Chinese sabotage in the incidents near Taiwan’s waters, while EU leaders have said Russia is the likely culprit behind similar breaches in the Baltic. “Taiwan and our European
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
The US Department of State on Monday reaffirmed that US policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, following US President Donald Trump’s use of the term “unification” while commenting on recent trade talks with China. Speaking at a wide-ranging press conference, Trump described what he viewed as progress in trade negotiations with China held in Geneva, Switzerland, over the weekend. “They’ve agreed to open China — fully open China, and I think it’s going to be fantastic for China. I think it’s going to be fantastic for us,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to be great for unification and peace.” Trump’s use of the
RSS