On September 21, 1999, a devastating earthquake hit central

Taiwan leaving over 100,000 people homeless and killing thousands

of people. Living in Taipei, Daniel and his then-partner (now married),

Huei-Ling wanted to help out and made their way down

to the epicenter with several thousand acupuncture needles

and some herbs. Staying almost a week in a tent on the

grounds of a local middle school, they went to various towns

and villages helping 30 to 40 local people at each stop before

moving on to the next town. In all they were able to help

several hundred sick and injured villagers. Shortly after they

had the opportunity to travel to Nepal to set up volunteer

clinics in Buddhist monasteries. They were profoundly

touched by the overwhelming gratitude shown by the people

they helped.

 

Each patient was a person with a story that otherwise went

untold and unaided. Providing free medicine became a passion.

Daniel and Huei-Ling returned to Nepal and Bhutan

several times over the next 5 years to provide free clinics.

 

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish and he will eat forever.  In 2006 Daniel and

Huei-Ling moved back to the US where Daniel began teaching Chinese medicine at SIEAM and Bastyr colleges in Seattle. He also set up his private clinic. Since then, in addition to raising 2 beautiful children, Daniel has taught (year) graduating classes. In 2013 for the first time since leaving Taiwan, he and Huei-Ling organized another free clinic to Nepal hosted by the Neydo Monastery in the holy region of Pharping.  With this team of only 4 students, Daniel was able to treat nearly 120 patients each day for 2 weeks. Noting the amazing learning and training opportunity for these novice practitioners, as well as the immense benefit to the monastery and surround Nepal community, Daniel and Huei-Ling resolved to set up a foundation through which free clinics could be organized regularly. Thus Open Hands Medicine was born.