2010年11月24日
一份特殊的禮物
今天（11月22日），我在辦公室收一份非常特殊的禮物――一張五萬元的捐贈支票。
若純以數額衡量，它似乎並不那麼起眼，但它來自一位今年剛畢業的女學生的父母，一位剛畢業卻已病逝、未能像其他同學那樣在家人祝福下上台領取學位證書的年青學生的父母，一位忍著癌症病痛、堅持讀完學士課程的年青學生的父母，這份對城大的情義、這種對教育的熱心支持，就顯得非常特殊、非常深重，重得我不敢收納這筆捐贈。
事情源於2006年9月，圓臉大眼、笑容甜美可人的施寶欣像所有新生一樣，帶著喜悅和憧憬來到城大中文、翻譯及語言學系，開始大學生活。誰知同年11月即發現患上惡性腫瘤，需要停學治療。雖然做了切除手術，六個月後竟發現癌細胞已擴散至身體其他部位。但她除了住院療病期間無法正常上學外，身體稍有康復即把握機會重返學校上課。
三年多來，她進出過醫院無數次；三年多來，她不管寒暑，忍著病痛讀書求知，有時痛得不能坐，就拿著枕頭墊在身後，實在支撐不住就趴在書桌上稍稍休息一下，從未因為身患絕症而放棄、鬆懈、頹廢，既不悲天怨人，也不自憐自憫。
寶欣的父母原來經營一個麵店。上大學前，除了讀書，寶欣經常幫助父母打理麵店，並兼職補習，賺取的微薄收入，捐獻給宣明會助養過貧困地區的兒童。為了照顧得病的女兒求學，寶欣的父母不惜結束麵店生意，接送、陪伴女兒上學。寶欣的同學也很配合，有時會把課堂錄音帶送到她家裏；老師更主動上門施教，終於幫助她完成學業。
但是，就在等著領取學位證書的日子裏，她一度昏迷，再次被送進瑪麗醫院。醒來後問的第一件事是「11」，後來得知，原來她惦念著11月的畢業典禮！
據醫生診斷，寶欣也許難以熬到畢業典禮那一天。為了滿足她的心願，我們在醫院病床旁為她舉行學位頒授儀式。聽護士說，那一天她心情特別好，一早就請護士為她化妝打扮，並為此特地抄寫了杜甫的「登兗州城樓」，以江山易主、王朝更替的宇宙法理表達自己的感受：東郡趨庭日，南樓縱目初；浮雲連海岱，平野入青徐；孤嶂秦碑在，荒城魯殿餘。從來多古意，臨眺獨躊躇。
拿到學位證書後10多天，寶欣不幸感染上肺炎去世了，為她25個春秋的短短生涯劃上句號。
我曾想，是什麼支撐著寶欣拖著疲憊的病體、忍著無比的疼痛讀完大學。看到這張支票我明白了：有這樣的父母，就有這樣的女兒，一位80後的女青年。寫到這裏，我彷彿看到寶欣在微笑，因為她沒有虛度此生，實現了自己的夢想，因為她的精神將隨著我們建立的獎學金永遠傳承下去。寶欣活在我們的心中。
In memory of a courageous student
I received a very special gift today — the seed money to set up a new scholarship.
What makes the story so heartbreaking is that the donation came from the parents of a CityU student who died tragically just before this year's congregation. The money will be used to help students in need at CityU and act as a memorial to one of the bravest, brightest and most inspirational young women I have ever met.
I want to share the story of Sze Po-yan with you because we can all draw inspiration from the courage she showed in her final days.
Po-yan was delighted when she won a place to study in the Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics at CityU in September 2006. But just two months later, she was diagnosed with a malignant tumour and was compelled to suspend her studies for the sake of medical treatment. Although the tumour was removed immediately, further tests revealed six months later that the cancer cells had spread.
Despite frequent hospitalisation, Po-yan continued to attend lectures. She studied hard, completing her coursework and only taking a break when the pain became too much to bear. She used to place a cushion on the back of her chair to help ease the pain and she frequently leant over her desk to rest. But she never quit, she never slacked and she never yielded to self pity.
Before she joined CityU, Po-yan used to help her parents run a noodle stall, and she earned a little money as a part-time tutor. Out of her meager income she made donations to World Vision, a charity that supports children living in poverty-stricken areas.
After her condition deteriorated further, her parents sold their business to give them more time to take their daughter to CityU and collect her after her class. Po-yan's classmates were also incredibly helpful, recording lectures for her and updating her on coursework. Her teachers even offered to tutor her at home, thus helping her to finish her school work and complete her degree.
In her final days what Po-yan wanted more than anything was to step onto the stage at this year's congregation ceremony and receive the certificate for her bachelor's degree in front of her loved ones, her friends and her teachers. But the torment of her illness cruelly denied her this last wish. Her doctors said the cancer had spread too far and that Po-yan would probably not live to see her graduation day.
Sadly, the diagnosis proved right. She fell seriously sick in the weeks leading up to congregation and was rushed to Queen Mary Hospital. After she regained consciousness, the first word she uttered was "11" We later found out that she was thinking of the congregation, which was to be held in November (the 11th month).
That was when we decided to hold a special ceremony in the hospital. Po-yan, a round-faced and big-eyed girl with a sunny smile, woke early that day in a bright mood and readied herself by asking the nurses to help her with some makeup. She also prepared a poem by Du Fu to express her feelings, about life, her family and her dreams. In front of her loved ones and the medical staff who so lovingly looked after her, Po-yan received her degree.
A few days later, she died. A chest infection developed into pneumonia and she lost her battle.
She was 25 years old.
As I write this, I ask myself, where did she draw the strength from? She endured unimaginable pain to accomplish her dreams and earn her degree. I found the answer in the donation from Po-yan's grieving parents. Their daughter was an inspiring young woman and her parents wished to remember her by helping others. There is no doubt that Po-yan could be as strong as she was because of the love and devotion of her incredible parents. And her parents' affection for CityU and their whole-hearted support for education are a very moving tribute to their daughter.
Here at my desk I can still see Po-yan's smiling face. She did not fritter away her time. She never gave up. She had a dream and despite her illness she earned her degree. That is why I want her spirit to live on forever through the establishment of the scholarship here at CityU.
November 24, 2010
http://www.cityu.edu.hk/op/blog_/WayToKuoBlog20101124.htm |
2010/12/2 20:28
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2010/12/6 17:37
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