On the afternoon of April 27, Nanjing Zijin Hospital organized a speech contest centered on the hospital’s core cultural values.

　　Though it’s called a competition, it feels more like a sharing session, where everyone exchanges their experiences and feelings, and shares their understanding and insights about life.

　　“That One ‘Mom’”

　　A single word—“Mom”—is an utterly ordinary occurrence for most of us. Yet when it came from Patient Xiao Wang, in Room 27 of Ward 102, it was nothing short of a miracle. It was the first time he had called out “Mom” in his 23rd month since being admitted—and his mother, at that moment, could no longer hold back her emotions.

　　That single word, “Mom,” was far from easy to utter. Over the course of these years of treatment, if the introduction of advanced equipment—such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, musculoskeletal ultrasound, and digital occupational therapy—represented the hard power driving the patient’s recovery, then the rehabilitation expertise of the medical staff constituted the soft power.

　　Rehabilitation therapists drew on their expertise to innovate and implement novel approaches, providing respiratory therapy for Xiao Wang. By the third month of intervention, his chest‑dominant breathing had transitioned to a mixed pattern; by the sixth month, his cough effectiveness had improved from Grade 2 to Grade 3, and his breath sounds had returned to normal. Most remarkably, shortly thereafter, Xiao Wang managed to utter the word “Mom.” Finally, in April 2022—just recently—Xiao Wang was successfully weaned off his tracheostomy tube and nasogastric feeding tube. Despite an exceptionally challenging course and an unusually prolonged treatment period, everyone succeeded—and so did Xiao Wang himself!

　　Student Xiao Wang poses for a photo with his mother after having two tubes removed.

　　Their smiles are the greatest reward for healthcare professionals, and they also serve as the most vivid embodiment of the spirit of “striving for excellence.” (The above is an excerpt from a speech delivered by rehabilitation therapist Chu Jun.)

　　“Reclaiming ‘My’ Childhood”

　　An eight-year-old boy was struck by a car while crossing the street with his older cousin, losing consciousness on the spot and falling into critical condition. Nurse Zhao Ya recounts the young patient’s story from the boy’s first-person perspective.

　　“If it weren’t for that car accident, I might be sitting in class, running on the playground, or flying a kite with my mom and dad. But because of the crash, I’ve been confined to a hospital room. Still, I haven’t given up—my mom hasn’t given up, and neither have the medical staff. We’ve cried and laughed, argued and joked, but all of it has been part of the journey toward my recovery—faster and stronger. My hospital room feels like home, a home filled with love.”

　　After being discharged from the hospital, the little boy rode his tricycle home.

　　“I’ve now been discharged from the hospital—I no longer have to stare at the ceiling of my ward. I can walk on my own and even ride a little tricycle. It is my parents’ love, the doctors’ dedication, and the nurses’ meticulous care that have given me back the childhood that was once mine.” (The above is an excerpt from Nurse Zhao Ya’s speech.)

　　“Dr. Luo Yizhen: Doctors Should Not Focus Solely on the Disease While Ignoring the Patient”

　　In 2011, for Dr. Luo Jing, it marked a turning point in her life. That year, she had originally expected to become a teacher, but by chance ended up studying medicine. After graduating in 2017, she began working at Nanjing Zijin Hospital. Over the course of six years, she grew from an inexperienced newcomer into a capable, independent physician. Yet she still vividly recalls her first lumbar puncture: after the procedure failed, she was so anxious that she broke out in a sweat. It was only through the patient guidance of Chief Physician Gao of the ward that she regained her confidence amid failure—and today, she even bears the nickname “Luo One‑Needle.”

　　“I’ve always considered myself very fortunate—born with all my limbs and never having to worry about food or shelter. But my parents have taught me that this good fortune isn’t something I’m entitled to; heaven has granted us a life of ease so that we might do something for those who are less lucky.”

　　“The greatest distance in the world is not between life and death, but when a patient stands before a doctor, and the doctor sees only the illness, not the person.” (The above two passages are excerpted from Dr. Luo Jing’s speech.)

　　Radio host Ma Qing: Someone is trying to snatch the “Golden Microphone”

　　On that day, there were 11 finalists, and the last to take the stage was Dr. Zhang Chuan, who joined Nanjing Zijin Hospital in 2020. Despite his quiet demeanor in everyday life, the moment he stepped up to speak and raised his voice, everyone was captivated by his magnetic tone.

　　The conference chair quipped, “Is this really the Zhang Chuan we know? Should we be on our guard against imposters?” His presentation was so professional—whether it was his impeccable vocal technique or his poised stage presence—that it left nothing to be desired.

　　Even the judges in the audience—renowned radio host and Golden Microphone Award nominee, Teacher Ma Qing—were awestruck. She quipped, “Goodness, it’s really not easy for a host to hold a bowl of rice steady; even the doctors might swoop in at any moment…” Tsk, tsk—what a glowing review that is!

　　“Exploring the unknowns of life and rebuilding the rainbow of one’s own journey—these words resonate deeply with me. This is the vocation we have chosen, the mission it entrusts to us. It calls upon us to continually innovate and venture into uncharted territory in our field, while also embarking on a journey to uncover the paths that lie ahead for ourselves. As we help patients reintegrate into society and reclaim their lives, we are, at the same time, crafting the very rainbow that belongs to our own stories.” (Excerpt from Dr. Zhang Chuan’s speech)

　　After two hours of intense competition, Zhao Yatong ultimately won first prize in the 2022 Nanjing Zijin Hospital Core Cultural Values Speech Contest, while Chu Jun and Zhang Chuan took second place, and Luo Jing, Huang Chujie, and Tang Long claimed third. The remaining contestants were equally commendable; simply stepping onto that stage was itself a testament to their excellence.

　　The hospital leadership stated that organizing a hospital-wide speech contest centered on the institution’s core cultural values will not only enhance participants’ articulation and communication skills, but also help promote the hospital’s culture, deepen all staff members’ understanding and appreciation of its core principles, and further strengthen their sense of identity and belonging. It seems that the 2023 speech contest is sure to be a “see you again soon.”

　　On the afternoon of April 27, Nanjing Zijin Hospital organized a speech contest centered on the hospital’s core cultural values.

　　Though it’s called a competition, it feels more like a sharing session, where everyone exchanges their experiences and feelings, and shares their understanding and insights about life.

　　“That One ‘Mom’”

　　A single word—“Mom”—is an utterly ordinary occurrence for most of us. Yet when it came from Patient Xiao Wang, in Room 27 of Ward 102, it was nothing short of a miracle. It was the first time he had called out “Mom” in his 23rd month since being admitted—and his mother, at that moment, could no longer hold back her emotions.

　　That single word, “Mom,” was far from easy to utter. Over the course of these years of treatment, if the introduction of advanced equipment—such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, musculoskeletal ultrasound, and digital occupational therapy—represented the hard power driving the patient’s recovery, then the rehabilitation expertise of the medical staff constituted the soft power.

　　Rehabilitation therapists drew on their expertise to innovate and implement novel approaches, providing respiratory therapy for Xiao Wang. By the third month of intervention, his chest‑dominant breathing had transitioned to a mixed pattern; by the sixth month, his cough effectiveness had improved from Grade 2 to Grade 3, and his breath sounds had returned to normal. Most remarkably, shortly thereafter, Xiao Wang managed to utter the word “Mom.” Finally, in April 2022—just recently—Xiao Wang was successfully weaned off his tracheostomy tube and nasogastric feeding tube. Despite an exceptionally challenging course and an unusually prolonged treatment period, everyone succeeded—and so did Xiao Wang himself!

　　Student Xiao Wang poses for a photo with his mother after having two tubes removed.

　　Their smiles are the greatest reward for healthcare professionals, and they also serve as the most vivid embodiment of the spirit of “striving for excellence.” (The above is an excerpt from a speech delivered by rehabilitation therapist Chu Jun.)

　　“Reclaiming ‘My’ Childhood”

　　An eight-year-old boy was struck by a car while crossing the street with his older cousin, losing consciousness on the spot and falling into critical condition. Nurse Zhao Ya recounts the young patient’s story from the boy’s first-person perspective.

　　“If it weren’t for that car accident, I might be sitting in class, running on the playground, or flying a kite with my mom and dad. But because of the crash, I’ve been confined to a hospital room. Still, I haven’t given up—my mom hasn’t given up, and neither have the medical staff. We’ve cried and laughed, argued and joked, but all of it has been part of the journey toward my recovery—faster and stronger. My hospital room feels like home, a home filled with love.”

　　After being discharged from the hospital, the little boy rode his tricycle home.

　　“I’ve now been discharged from the hospital—I no longer have to stare at the ceiling of my ward. I can walk on my own and even ride a little tricycle. It is my parents’ love, the doctors’ dedication, and the nurses’ meticulous care that have given me back the childhood that was once mine.” (The above is an excerpt from Nurse Zhao Ya’s speech.)

　　“Dr. Luo Yizhen: Doctors Should Not Focus Solely on the Disease While Ignoring the Patient”

　　In 2011, for Dr. Luo Jing, it marked a turning point in her life. That year, she had originally expected to become a teacher, but by chance ended up studying medicine. After graduating in 2017, she began working at Nanjing Zijin Hospital. Over the course of six years, she grew from an inexperienced newcomer into a capable, independent physician. Yet she still vividly recalls her first lumbar puncture: after the procedure failed, she was so anxious that she broke out in a sweat. It was only through the patient guidance of Chief Physician Gao of the ward that she regained her confidence amid failure—and today, she even bears the nickname “Luo One‑Needle.”

　　“I’ve always considered myself very fortunate—born with all my limbs and never having to worry about food or shelter. But my parents have taught me that this good fortune isn’t something I’m entitled to; heaven has granted us a life of ease so that we might do something for those who are less lucky.”

　　“The greatest distance in the world is not between life and death, but when a patient stands before a doctor, and the doctor sees only the illness, not the person.” (The above two passages are excerpted from Dr. Luo Jing’s speech.)

　　Radio host Ma Qing: Someone is trying to snatch the “Golden Microphone”

　　On that day, there were 11 finalists, and the last to take the stage was Dr. Zhang Chuan, who joined Nanjing Zijin Hospital in 2020. Despite his quiet demeanor in everyday life, the moment he stepped up to speak and raised his voice, everyone was captivated by his magnetic tone.

　　The conference chair quipped, “Is this really the Zhang Chuan we know? Should we be on our guard against imposters?” His presentation was so professional—whether it was his impeccable vocal technique or his poised stage presence—that it left nothing to be desired.

　　Even the judges in the audience—renowned radio host and Golden Microphone Award nominee, Teacher Ma Qing—were awestruck. She quipped, “Goodness, it’s really not easy for a host to hold a bowl of rice steady; even the doctors might swoop in at any moment…” Tsk, tsk—what a glowing review that is!

　　“Exploring the unknowns of life and rebuilding the rainbow of one’s own journey—these words resonate deeply with me. This is the vocation we have chosen, the mission it entrusts to us. It calls upon us to continually innovate and venture into uncharted territory in our field, while also embarking on a journey to uncover the paths that lie ahead for ourselves. As we help patients reintegrate into society and reclaim their lives, we are, at the same time, crafting the very rainbow that belongs to our own stories.” (Excerpt from Dr. Zhang Chuan’s speech)

　　After two hours of intense competition, Zhao Yatong ultimately won first prize in the 2022 Nanjing Zijin Hospital Core Cultural Values Speech Contest, while Chu Jun and Zhang Chuan took second place, and Luo Jing, Huang Chujie, and Tang Long claimed third. The remaining contestants were equally commendable; simply stepping onto that stage was itself a testament to their excellence.

　　The hospital leadership stated that organizing a hospital-wide speech contest centered on the institution’s core cultural values will not only enhance participants’ articulation and communication skills, but also help promote the hospital’s culture, deepen all staff members’ understanding and appreciation of its core principles, and further strengthen their sense of identity and belonging. It seems that the 2023 speech contest is sure to be a “see you again soon.”