“If I could relive my life, I would never touch betel nuts ever again,” said Chou Pei-yuan (周培圓), an oral cancer sufferer.
In spite of the short length of the sentence, Chou had to try 54 times before he got the message out.
Twelve years ago, 37-year-old Chou was diagnosed with stage four oral cancer. After doctors surgically removed the cancerous tumors — along with the majority of his tongue and lower jaw — Chou had great difficulty making himself understood when he spoke.
The operation saved Chou’s life, but left him with a speech impediment and facial disfigurement that led him to shut himself in his house for five years, attempting suicide numerous times.
His children finally persuaded him that he still had things to live for, and after joining the Sunshine Social Welfare Foundation as a volunteer three years ago, Chou found a role in which his disfigurement from cancer was actually an advantage.
“There was one time when I just took off my mask and a guy riding a scooter who we were talking to just tossed away his bag of betel nuts and said that he would never touch the stuff again,” Chou said.
According to statistics from the Department of Health, oral cancer — for the ninth year in a row — continued to be the No. 4 cause of death in the nation, claiming 2,300 lives a year.
Ahead of Father’s Day on Wednesday, Chou agreed to participate in a live shoot for a promotional video on oral cancer, sponsored by the Sunshine Social Welfare Foundation and the Yonglin Foundation.
When asked if he was willing to help, Chou said that, due to his appearance, he would “make the promotion more memorable.”
No matter how many times he had to repeat his lines or communicate with the foundation workers via pen and paper, Chou kept on filming, wishing only to transmit one message: Look at me, and say “No” to betel nuts.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
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