Taiwanese American battles cancer though art

2024-04-29

Sixth grader Lin Tzu-yang’s American father passed away when he was only 3 months old, leaving his mother to raise him on her own. Then when Lin was in second grade, his doctorsdiscovered a tumor in his brain. He found solace from his pain in drawing, and after winning the 10th Dream-Building Project, realized his dream of holding an exhibition of his work.

On one side of the painting are cancer cells faced by a litany of doctors, medicine and friends in an epic battle of survival between good and evil. The artist is 12-year-old Lin Tzu-yang, born to American and Taiwanese parents. When he was only 3 months old, his father died of illness. Then at the age of 8, Lin himself was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Lin Ai-lin
Lin Tzu-yang’s mother
It came out of the blue. When Tzu-yang’s father passed, it was actually Tzu-yang who got me through. So when I heard the news, I thought how could it be? It’s also malignant. After I heard it, that entire month I cried every day, whenever I thought about it.

Still young at the time, Lin didn’t understand the concept of life and death, but he could feel the pain as clear as day. He lost his hair during chemotherapy and the medications made him sick and irritable. All he had as a distraction was drawing.

Lin Tzu-yang
Cancer survivor
I just thought I don’t want my family to know or worry. I didn’t want the adults to know I wasn’t feeling well, so I drew.

He drew to forget his pain, but soon fostered a dream to exhibit his work. He got the chance in March with support from the National Immigration Agency’s Dream-Building Project. All proceeds from his art sales were donated to the care fund at the St. Mary’s Hospital hospice unit.

Lin Tzu-yang
Cancer survivor
With more medical equipment, they can treat more patients. I hope more people can be like me and live better lives.

Lin has made it to the other side of his illness. Sharing his experience through art has helped him express the joys and meaning of life.

This story was provided by the program "We Are Family"
Funded by New Immigrant Development Fund

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台美混血生命鬥士林子陽靠畫畫抗腦癌

2024-04-29

小學六年級的林子陽，爸爸是美國人，在子揚出生三個月的時候就過世。媽媽辛苦帶大他，卻在他小學二年級時發現長了腦瘤。喜歡畫畫塗鴉的林子陽，靠著畫畫轉移身體的病痛及不舒服，他的夢想是能夠開一個畫展，也獲得第十屆築夢計畫的支持，夢想成真。

畫作裡，一邊是癌細胞，一邊是醫生、藥物還有好朋友，就像是邪惡的惡魔黨與正義的戰士，展開一場生存的對抗。創作者是12歲的臺美新二代林子陽，他在三個月大的時候，爸爸就因病猝逝，8歲的時候被檢查出罹患膠質母細胞瘤，是一種難纏的腦部惡性腫瘤。

[[林子陽媽媽林艾琳]]
“晴天霹靂。其實當初子陽爸爸走的時候，是子陽堅持著我到現在，所以那時候聽到，怎麼會遇到這種事情？然後又是惡性的，其實當下心裡，聽到那一段真的是那一整個月真的是每天想到就哭，想到就哭。”

小小年紀的子陽或許還不懂什麼叫生離死別，但是身體的病痛，他比誰都清楚，化療、放射線治療讓他掉光了頭髮，藥物副作用讓他整個人病懨懨，或著脾氣更加暴躁，只能靠著畫畫轉移注意力。

[[臺美新二代林子陽]]
“都會想著，不要讓家人知道、不要讓他們擔心。就是因為身體不舒服，不想要讓大人知道，才想要畫畫。”

靠著畫畫忘卻身體的病痛，林子陽的夢想是想開一個畫展。今年三月，他也在移民署築夢計畫的支持下，夢想成真，還希望把義賣畫作的所得，捐贈給聖嘉民安寧病房的安寧照護基金。

[[臺美新二代林子陽]]
“因為醫院設備更多，就可以讓更多人治病，希望可以讓更多人可以跟我一樣，可以活得更好。”

林子陽克服疾病帶給他的考驗，透過一幅幅畫，展現生命的色彩，也揮灑生命的價值。

以上內容由《我們一家人》節目提供內政部移民署監製

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