(Minghui.org) When my mother was diagnosed with intestinal necrosis, I suggested that she practice Falun Dafa because it cured my stomach disease. Originally, her surgeon was not optimistic about her condition, as her intestines were badly infected. However, she was able to recover quickly thanks to Falun Dafa.
My Mother's Tribulation
My mother, who is 75, was diagnosed with intestinal necrosis, which caused excruciating pain and high blood pressure. Over 90% of patients with intestinal necrosis die during surgery. Because the bacteria is so contagious, relapses can often happen after surgery.
I told my mother that the possibility she would recover was slim, so only Falun Dafa could save her. I suggested that she repeat, “Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” I said that she should be fine as long as she believed that Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa, could help her.
Before her surgery, she promised that she would.
The surgeon emerged after the operation with the black, necrotic small intestine, about a half meter long. He showed how the surgery went on his phone, then told us, "We have tried our best, but Heaven will determine whether or not she can survive. 'Man proposes, God disposes.' Because her stomach is so dirty, it can easily recur. If her temperature exceeds 38.5 degrees Celsius, it will be a big problem."
To our surprise, my mother recovered very quickly. She was in very good spirits, and the doctors and nurses were very happy for her. When she returned to the hospital one week later for a check-up, she sincerely thanked the doctors for saving her life.
However, she did not mention her gratitude to Master Li. I realized that it was my fault since I did not tell her about the high mortality rate for those who had her type of surgery. Very soon, her fever returned, and this time, the situation was dire.
My mother was taken to the ER, and when I saw her in the hospital, she looked desperate and hopeless. My two brothers looked deflated, as if our mother were already dead. The expenses would be great — even though we knew that no medicine could cure her. To them, our mother was doomed to die this time.
I asked the doctors to increase the antibiotics, but they told me, “We've given her the most her body can handle. Too much would poison her. We can't do anything about the high fever – it's all up to a higher force now.”
I knew that modern medicine had limits, but I was still surprised to see how easily the doctors gave up on patients like my mother.
Instead of blaming the doctors, I told them, "Okay, then I'll ask Master Li to help her since I'm a Falun Gong practitioner.”
I began talking to my mother.
“The surgeon told me that the mortality rate for this surgery is extremely high. The doctors had said that, based on your poor condition, they were not optimistic how much the surgery could help even if you survived – I couldn't bring myself to tell you,” I said.
“Nonetheless, you recovered quickly after the surgery. You thanked the doctors, but you did not thank Falun Dafa and Master Li even once. You believed that it was the doctors who saved you, but a person's life expectancy is fixed. Doctors can only cure certain diseases, but they cannot extend someone's life. If you still wish to believe in Master Li, do not be discouraged. The statistics will not affect you anymore if your faith in Master Li is sincere.”
She apologized to Teacher, and began to repeat, “Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” She gradually calmed down, and I also repeated these words with her.
Early next morning, her temperature returned to normal. However, my brother said that it was common for temperatures to go down in the morning. I could tell that my mother's faith in Master began to waver when she heard that, so I searched inside myself and saw that I had been asking Master Li to cure mother and extend her life. It was time for me to eliminate that thought. How many blessings a person can receive depends on their own righteous thoughts.
My Mother's Faith
My big brother left the hospital right after our mother's temperature came down. He said that his blood pressure would skyrocket if he remained there any longer.
They decided to bring my mother home since the costs were mounting. They signed the waiver of liability with the hospital, but we had to put our plan on hold, as our mother's incision became infected once again.
My elder brother only expressed his worries on the phone, and my second brother left after he got food poisoning. Only my husband, who is also a Dafa practitioner, and I stayed to take care of my mother around the clock.
Our financial situation was not very good due to the long-term persecution that we had suffered for our faith in Dafa, so we did not have money to hire a caretaker. My husband had to go to work during the day, and he also had to take care of our child. We also had to take care of my bedridden father.
As long as there was still a glimmer of hope for my mother, I was determined to help her. To an ordinary person, this would be too much pressure, but guided by Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, I can overcome all difficulties.
My mother's abdomen was infected under the second-layer surgical line. Large amounts of pus and black blood were flowing out of the two layers of her belly. She was once again discouraged, but my husband and I continued comforting her and encouraging her to believe in Master and Dafa.
A fellow Dafa practitioner, my university classmate, came to read her stories of people whose illnesses were cured after cultivating in Dafa. Mother's faith in Master and Dafa was strengthened. Every morning, she would repeat, "Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good." She was willing to listen to Master Li's teachings and said that she would do the exercises when she could walk.
My husband and I took turns taking care of her. We slept on the cement floor at night to be near her. She listened to Master's lectures with a smile on her face; the doctors and nurses encouraged her to continue listening.
Gradually she gained enough strength to eat by herself, and the pus and bleeding were reduced. A month later, she was discharged.
My Mother at Home
Seeing that I was tired and worried, my husband tried to help me as soon as he got home from work. We cleaned my mother's wounds and her bodily waste, making sure that her intestines would not get infected again.
For several months, my husband not only patiently helped my 80-year-old father to bathe and groom himself, but also cleaned my mother's stool, something that my brothers had never done.
My parents were deeply touched – they understood why I was so nice to them, but it was hard to believe how much their son-in-law did for them. I told them it was all because of the teachings of Falun Dafa! We would not have been able to keep up with all this hard labor had we not been Dafa cultivators. My parents were very grateful.
Our apartment is small, so when my mother was able to walk, she went home. When she returned to the hospital for the second part of the surgery six months later, my husband and I once again took care of her unconditionally. My second brother was annoyed, and my elder brother complained about the expense, so we assumed the responsibility for my parents and did not tell my brothers how much we spent on my mother's medical expenses, so as not to make them feel bad.
My Family's Reaction
My brothers and sisters-in-law changed their attitudes towards us after witnessing how well we took care of our parents and Mother's quick recovery. They stopped looking down on us for being poor.
My elder brother's wife convinced her entire family to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated associations.
She said, “Falun Dafa practitioners are selfless. No wonder so many people in the world still practice Falun Dafa, regardless of how severe the persecution is. People can tell who is good, and who is bad.”
She also understood that the CCP's goal was to destroy traditional Chinese culture and morals, which ultimately will lead to the destruction of humanity. She regretted not giving us more help when we were persecuted.
My mother's faith in Dafa and Teacher Li grew stronger. She listened to Master's teachings and said that she would follow Master for the rest of her life.
We are very grateful for Falun Dafa and Master Li!
