Gordon Low: I am proud to be Chinese

Born in China and having spent many years of childhood here, Gordon Low, 76-year-old Australian honorary professor at Guangzhou Children's Hospital, cannot find difficulty working in China. "These are my friends," he said, “These are my people. There cannot be any cultural difference. There cannot be difficulty. If there is a problem, it is not the staff or the people. It is the system which operates in China and in other countries."

"It does not mean one system is better than another system," he continued, "It just means that we have to make provisions for different systems."

Being in the medical profession, Low finds that "touching" stories are plentiful.

One morning in a hospital corridor, accompanied by two Australian doctors, Low was accosted by a Chinese lady carrying in her arms a young girl. The girl would be about three years old and quite small for her age. She had a sallow and grey complexion and a large abdomen. Experience told the doctors that the large abdomen was caused by a large spleen. She was suffering from an incurable condition called glycogen storage disease. What the mother was hoping for was that we could take the child to Australia, and perform a splenectomy, which would cure her. We took time to explain to the mother that the condition could not be cured by an operation, and there was no cure for her daughter. The mother was so grave that the doctors were deeply touched by her maternal love.

The professor hopes to continue to work in China as long as his health allows. "I am Chinese," he claimed, "I am proud to be Chinese."
He also wishes to share with people here what he has learnt overseas which may be of use in China.

Source: GZ Morning Post

Editor: Jessie Hwang