Striking Lottery
Alvin Ng
Malaysia
I came from an average-income family in Teluk Intan, Perak and my parents have been practicing Nichiren Buddhism for thirty years. My life had been very comfortable as I worked as an accountant in a public-listed company. To accumulate good fortune, I used to pray at various Taoist and Buddhist temples and donate to charitable organisations such as orphanages, the World Wildlife Fund and UNICEF.
I did not expect any misfortune to befall me. Despite my parents telling me of the power of faith and sharing numerous stories of members receiving benefits from chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, I was unable to accept Nichiren Buddhism and having faith in the Gohonzon.
My Son, My Nightmare
In 2007, my nightmares began with the birth of my eldest son. I recall our gynaecologist at the hospital calling me urgently to the operating theatre. My wife was crying on the bed. Then I saw that my son had some facial abnormalities and his body was bluish. He weighed less than 2kg. Our gynaecologist sincerely apologised to us for overlooking the abnormalities earlier and sent my son for further observation.
Not knowing what to do, I called my parents. The first thing they told me was, "There is no other way but to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyowholeheartedly."
Later, my son was diagnosed with congenital congestive heart disease with the following conditions in tow:
1) His blood flowed in the opposite direction,
2) one of the valves in his heart could not open,
3) he has a hole in his heart, and
4) his valves were narrowed.
On top of that, he had cleft lips and palate and lacked a nasal bone. One of the discs in his backbone was not fully-developed. This may affect his ability to move. A consultant specialist told us that he might live for only two months. As a first-time parent, I was totally at sea and lost. Never in my life had I been thrown into such a hellish situation. I had no choice but to call an ex-colleague who is a SGM member for help. She arranged for SGM leaders at my area to visit me and give me support and guidance.
After my son was discharged, a leader visited me with Dr Christopher Boey, who is a paediatrician. I asked him why my son was born into my family in such an unfortunate condition. I had never hurt anybody and I always gave to charities. He replied that there is a deep karmic bond existing within my wife, him and me. He urged me to take this opportunity to transform this ill karma within our family and lead lives brimming with absolute happiness. Hearing those words, we decided to give our son the best life that we could afford.
We consulted many specialists. One of them even asked me if it was worth saving our son. We would have to see him suffer through all the operations and even then, he might not live for long. Furthermore, we might have to sell our car and home - just to keep him alive. A plastic surgeon, who is regarded as one of the best around, told me that I had struck a lottery, albeit ironically- our son was one-in-a-million.
Through chanting abundant daimoku, we managed to consult with a paediatric consultant, who is regarded as the best in his field in Malaysia, at a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur. He scanned my son's heart for 30 minutes and said that his life could be prolonged. However, three heart bypass surgeries would be necessary.
The first operation was to be performed as soon as possible when his weight reached 3kg. The second was scheduled at the age of three and the final was at five years old. He told us to prepare about RM100,000 for all the operations. Due to the exorbitant fees, we sought for a second opinion at a government hospital but, unfortunately, due to my son's complications, the doctors there did not feel confident enough to help him.
My son's weight was vexing. He could hardly put on weight. I kept chanting for him to gain weight and maintain a high-enough oxygen saturation level in his body. We were very worried that his low oxygen saturation level would affect his brain's development. Finally, after two months, his weight increased to 3kg and his oxygen level did not drop to lower than 65%. His had his first bypass when he was only two months old. SGM members kept sending him daimoku and the operation was a major success.
Then, just about half-a-month later, his doctor decided to perform a balloon angioplasty to improve his blood circulation. With the members' daimoku, the operation was another success, strengthening his heart for another three years. During this operation, our paediatrician noticed some problems with his eyes. His right eye was blind and his left was unable to focus properly. Ophthalmologists (eye specialists) told us that his tear ducts were not connected to his nose, causing the right eye to be infected. We needed to be very careful and make sure he didn't cry much. This operation strained our finances even further.
Members and leaders kept giving us encouragement and guidance to challenge our obstacles. I also participated in SGM meetings and activities whenever possible to transform our family's ill karma.
To allow him to talk and eat properly, we decided to let our son undergo corrective surgery for his lips and palate at a private hospital. Due to the severity of his cleft, we had to send him to a government hospital in Singapore instead. We were fortunate that the top plastic surgeon in the hospital took up his case.
When he was about 11 months old, he was scheduled to be operated on again and this surgery would cost SGD8,000. Having totally no more savings left, we asked for help from family and friends but still ended up short of SGD5,000. Having no other means, I chanted even more fervently for protection from the Gohonzon.
I sought for guidance from my leaders and was given this beautiful Gosho passage: "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion. What sickness can therefore be an obstacle?"
Then, just days before leaving for Singapore, an old friend came and lent me SGD8, 000! I was extremely happy, relieved and grateful to the Gohonzon. The doctors there did an excellent job on my son's palate but unfortunately, due to his blood-thinning medication, he was bleeding non-stop and had to be admitted to the intensive care unit(ICU). I immediately notified my local SGM leaders and they chanted for him. I chanted softly into his ears for hours. The bleeding stopped and he was discharged four days later. I believe this was due to the protection of the Gohonzon.
As his next operation was scheduled two years later, I tried to save some money and repay my debts. I would never imagine that just seven months later, his body and lips started to turn blue again. We consulted the same cardiologist, and were told it's time for the second bypass! At that time, my wife was pregnant and was expected to deliver within a month. We had no choice but to postpone the surgery to three months later, after our second son's full-moon celebration.
We kept chanting for our eldest son to remain strong until then. This time I have really run out of means for his surgery. I could only chant for money to come from somewhere. I chanted practically during all my waking hours. One month before the surgery, my company decided to sponsor half of the operation costs. What a huge relief! I had never imagined this would happen. When we chant wholeheartedly, our prayers will never go unanswered. The operation was another success.
The Final Bypass
After overcoming all these struggles, I was thinking of taking a break before his next operation when he turned five years old. But when he was three, we noticed him looking tired and turning blue again. He complained of numbness in his legs. The doctor found his oxygen level dropping again and there was a blockage, meaning the final bypass must be performed immediately.
It pained me to see him having to suffer again. It was very exhausting for him and all of us who took care of him. As this operation was the riskiest one, and he was only three years old instead of five, I did not want him to suffer so much and so soon.
I sought further guidance from leaders and they advised me to pray for him to be able to fulfil his mission in this life, which includes working for kosen-rufu and participating in SGM activities. I must also chant for the happiness and good fortune of the doctors and nurses and for them to have the wisdom to carry out this operation. Our local members once again held marathon chanting sessions.
At our son's cardiologist's insistence, we pushed our little boy into the operating theatre. Our son noticed tears in our eyes and said "Daddy, Mommy, why are you crying?" We were speechless.
The operation was a success but was hospitalised for about a month. I had spent about RM50,000 on the last operation and with the help of my company, I only had to pay half. As, had used a lot of money for his therapy and medication, I had maxed out my credit cards and was broke.
This time, I again prayed for some form of financial assistance. I could only afford to spend RM3 a day. It was a truly tough time. Fortunately within a month I was promoted and my company backdated my raise to the past 13 months - another actual proof of the power of the Gohonzon. With that, I could pay for the operation costs and a large part of my debts.
And Now ...
My son is now seven years old. He can run, dance and speak very well. In fact, he is now overweight! We are planning to let him undergo facial reconstruction this year. Even though this operation will take about eight hours, we will keep challenging situation by chanting with strong faith.
Through these seven years, I have learned that being a parent is not easy. I have learned to love and appreciate my parents more. Now that my father is ill, I am determined return to my hometown twice a month to see and encourage him with SGI President Ikeda's guidance.
Deeply realizing the importance of family, health and life, I have resigned from my well-paid job last November to set up my own consulting firm. Now I have more time to carry out kosen-rufu activities in order to repay my gratitude to the Gohonzon, SGI President Ikeda and SGM members and leaders who have supported us. I am also determined to never leave SGM and dedicate the rest of my life for kosen-rufu.
[Cosmic June 2014]
Alvin Ng
Malaysia
I came from an average-income family in Teluk Intan, Perak and my parents have been practicing Nichiren Buddhism for thirty years. My life had been very comfortable as I worked as an accountant in a public-listed company. To accumulate good fortune, I used to pray at various Taoist and Buddhist temples and donate to charitable organisations such as orphanages, the World Wildlife Fund and UNICEF.
I did not expect any misfortune to befall me. Despite my parents telling me of the power of faith and sharing numerous stories of members receiving benefits from chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, I was unable to accept Nichiren Buddhism and having faith in the Gohonzon.
My Son, My Nightmare
In 2007, my nightmares began with the birth of my eldest son. I recall our gynaecologist at the hospital calling me urgently to the operating theatre. My wife was crying on the bed. Then I saw that my son had some facial abnormalities and his body was bluish. He weighed less than 2kg. Our gynaecologist sincerely apologised to us for overlooking the abnormalities earlier and sent my son for further observation.
Not knowing what to do, I called my parents. The first thing they told me was, "There is no other way but to chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyowholeheartedly."
Later, my son was diagnosed with congenital congestive heart disease with the following conditions in tow:
1) His blood flowed in the opposite direction,
2) one of the valves in his heart could not open,
3) he has a hole in his heart, and
4) his valves were narrowed.
On top of that, he had cleft lips and palate and lacked a nasal bone. One of the discs in his backbone was not fully-developed. This may affect his ability to move. A consultant specialist told us that he might live for only two months. As a first-time parent, I was totally at sea and lost. Never in my life had I been thrown into such a hellish situation. I had no choice but to call an ex-colleague who is a SGM member for help. She arranged for SGM leaders at my area to visit me and give me support and guidance.
After my son was discharged, a leader visited me with Dr Christopher Boey, who is a paediatrician. I asked him why my son was born into my family in such an unfortunate condition. I had never hurt anybody and I always gave to charities. He replied that there is a deep karmic bond existing within my wife, him and me. He urged me to take this opportunity to transform this ill karma within our family and lead lives brimming with absolute happiness. Hearing those words, we decided to give our son the best life that we could afford.
We consulted many specialists. One of them even asked me if it was worth saving our son. We would have to see him suffer through all the operations and even then, he might not live for long. Furthermore, we might have to sell our car and home - just to keep him alive. A plastic surgeon, who is regarded as one of the best around, told me that I had struck a lottery, albeit ironically- our son was one-in-a-million.
Through chanting abundant daimoku, we managed to consult with a paediatric consultant, who is regarded as the best in his field in Malaysia, at a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur. He scanned my son's heart for 30 minutes and said that his life could be prolonged. However, three heart bypass surgeries would be necessary.
The first operation was to be performed as soon as possible when his weight reached 3kg. The second was scheduled at the age of three and the final was at five years old. He told us to prepare about RM100,000 for all the operations. Due to the exorbitant fees, we sought for a second opinion at a government hospital but, unfortunately, due to my son's complications, the doctors there did not feel confident enough to help him.
My son's weight was vexing. He could hardly put on weight. I kept chanting for him to gain weight and maintain a high-enough oxygen saturation level in his body. We were very worried that his low oxygen saturation level would affect his brain's development. Finally, after two months, his weight increased to 3kg and his oxygen level did not drop to lower than 65%. His had his first bypass when he was only two months old. SGM members kept sending him daimoku and the operation was a major success.
Then, just about half-a-month later, his doctor decided to perform a balloon angioplasty to improve his blood circulation. With the members' daimoku, the operation was another success, strengthening his heart for another three years. During this operation, our paediatrician noticed some problems with his eyes. His right eye was blind and his left was unable to focus properly. Ophthalmologists (eye specialists) told us that his tear ducts were not connected to his nose, causing the right eye to be infected. We needed to be very careful and make sure he didn't cry much. This operation strained our finances even further.
Members and leaders kept giving us encouragement and guidance to challenge our obstacles. I also participated in SGM meetings and activities whenever possible to transform our family's ill karma.
To allow him to talk and eat properly, we decided to let our son undergo corrective surgery for his lips and palate at a private hospital. Due to the severity of his cleft, we had to send him to a government hospital in Singapore instead. We were fortunate that the top plastic surgeon in the hospital took up his case.
When he was about 11 months old, he was scheduled to be operated on again and this surgery would cost SGD8,000. Having totally no more savings left, we asked for help from family and friends but still ended up short of SGD5,000. Having no other means, I chanted even more fervently for protection from the Gohonzon.
I sought for guidance from my leaders and was given this beautiful Gosho passage: "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo is like the roar of a lion. What sickness can therefore be an obstacle?"
Then, just days before leaving for Singapore, an old friend came and lent me SGD8, 000! I was extremely happy, relieved and grateful to the Gohonzon. The doctors there did an excellent job on my son's palate but unfortunately, due to his blood-thinning medication, he was bleeding non-stop and had to be admitted to the intensive care unit(ICU). I immediately notified my local SGM leaders and they chanted for him. I chanted softly into his ears for hours. The bleeding stopped and he was discharged four days later. I believe this was due to the protection of the Gohonzon.
As his next operation was scheduled two years later, I tried to save some money and repay my debts. I would never imagine that just seven months later, his body and lips started to turn blue again. We consulted the same cardiologist, and were told it's time for the second bypass! At that time, my wife was pregnant and was expected to deliver within a month. We had no choice but to postpone the surgery to three months later, after our second son's full-moon celebration.
We kept chanting for our eldest son to remain strong until then. This time I have really run out of means for his surgery. I could only chant for money to come from somewhere. I chanted practically during all my waking hours. One month before the surgery, my company decided to sponsor half of the operation costs. What a huge relief! I had never imagined this would happen. When we chant wholeheartedly, our prayers will never go unanswered. The operation was another success.
The Final Bypass
After overcoming all these struggles, I was thinking of taking a break before his next operation when he turned five years old. But when he was three, we noticed him looking tired and turning blue again. He complained of numbness in his legs. The doctor found his oxygen level dropping again and there was a blockage, meaning the final bypass must be performed immediately.
It pained me to see him having to suffer again. It was very exhausting for him and all of us who took care of him. As this operation was the riskiest one, and he was only three years old instead of five, I did not want him to suffer so much and so soon.
I sought further guidance from leaders and they advised me to pray for him to be able to fulfil his mission in this life, which includes working for kosen-rufu and participating in SGM activities. I must also chant for the happiness and good fortune of the doctors and nurses and for them to have the wisdom to carry out this operation. Our local members once again held marathon chanting sessions.
At our son's cardiologist's insistence, we pushed our little boy into the operating theatre. Our son noticed tears in our eyes and said "Daddy, Mommy, why are you crying?" We were speechless.
The operation was a success but was hospitalised for about a month. I had spent about RM50,000 on the last operation and with the help of my company, I only had to pay half. As, had used a lot of money for his therapy and medication, I had maxed out my credit cards and was broke.
This time, I again prayed for some form of financial assistance. I could only afford to spend RM3 a day. It was a truly tough time. Fortunately within a month I was promoted and my company backdated my raise to the past 13 months - another actual proof of the power of the Gohonzon. With that, I could pay for the operation costs and a large part of my debts.
And Now ...
My son is now seven years old. He can run, dance and speak very well. In fact, he is now overweight! We are planning to let him undergo facial reconstruction this year. Even though this operation will take about eight hours, we will keep challenging situation by chanting with strong faith.
Through these seven years, I have learned that being a parent is not easy. I have learned to love and appreciate my parents more. Now that my father is ill, I am determined return to my hometown twice a month to see and encourage him with SGI President Ikeda's guidance.
Deeply realizing the importance of family, health and life, I have resigned from my well-paid job last November to set up my own consulting firm. Now I have more time to carry out kosen-rufu activities in order to repay my gratitude to the Gohonzon, SGI President Ikeda and SGM members and leaders who have supported us. I am also determined to never leave SGM and dedicate the rest of my life for kosen-rufu.
[Cosmic June 2014]