In spite of the purity and beauty of the land,about 600 people in Taitung die of cancer every year. Moreover, Taitung'saverage life expectancy is a baffling ten years less than that of Taipeicitizens, making it the lowest in the entire nation. One major contributor toshortened lifespan is the lack of resources in cancer screening. Unfortunately,many locals (especially those in remote areas) only discover cancer in itslater stages, resulting in the need for painful and often futile treatments.

But in early 2012, a meeting between hospitalassociate administrator, Jennifer Chen and Olivia Chang, the president ofAurora Imaging Technology, resulted in a donation which was to change the livesof women all over Taitung –the donation of a cutting-edge Mobile Breast MRISystem, worth over $2million USD! Only three hospitals in Taiwan have thisclass of system and although patients must pay out of pocket for the service,there is still a two month queue. As insurance does not cover the screeningexpense, mammograms for Taiwanese women are still considered optional andperhaps even a luxury.

Thanks to the generous donation from AuroraImaging Technology, St. Mary's will now be able to provide free service to theTaitung area. Combined with St. Mary's Breast Cancer Support Group, this newBMRI system will be used to address all areas of breast health. Over thefollowing years, we are hoping to make thousands of screenings for those athigh-risk of breast cancer and significantly reduce the mortality rate of thisdisease in Taitung. Despite the heavy operating costs (about $200 000 USD peryear), the arrival of BMRI to Taitung is nothing short of a miracle, bound tocreate many more miracles for the women of Taitung!

St. Mary's Hospital is also pleased to welcomeDr. P.J. Huang, Chief Director of Taipei Medical University Hospital's BreastHealth Center and experienced doctor, as the Chief Director of the new BreastHealth Center in Taitung.