Pastor Detained In China Is Seriously Ill, Says Wife
According to his wife, a house church pastor in China detained for "divulging state secrets" is seriously ill.
Pastor Yang Hua, of the Living Stone House Church in Guiyang in Guizhou province, China, is suffering from a condition called "anaphylactoid purpura," a form of blood vessel inflammation that affects capillaries in the skin and kidneys, China Aid reports. He contracted the disease while incarcerated in the Nanming District Detention Center.
Wang Hongwu, Pastor Yang's wife, told China Aid after a recent visit that although his condition has improved, it still serious.
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"Although he still couldn't walk, I could tell that the infections on his legs were under control, and the festering was also beginning to heal," Wang said. "His mental condition was good."
Last month, Wang told China Aid she was surprised to see Pastor Yang needing help to walk as she visited him in the detention center. Yang needed to be transferred to the Guiyang 368 Armed Police Hospital for treatment, as the detention center gave him nothing but painkillers.
There in the hospital, Wang noticed that Yang's limbs were "covered with measles and necrotic dots." She also noticed that his shinbones "were full of huge patches of necrosis and effusion, and his feet and ankles were swollen."
The chief physician informed Wang of Yang's condition, telling her that it might bring with it some side effects including septicemia, alimentary tract hemorrhaging, and kidney damage. He also needed a large dose of hormonal therapy and anti-inflammatory treatments.
Pastor Yang's lawyers believe that his condition requires urgent and proper care from a hospital qualified and able to give appropriate treatment, China Change reported. They are asking the Guiyang Procuratorate to allow him to be released on medical bail.
Despite the pain that Pastor Yang felt during Wang's visit last month, he wasreportedly happy to see his wife after a long period of being separated.
"Don't worry. God is pulling the strings. I am at peace," Yang told Wang during their short conversation last month. "We haven't seen each other in a year and three months, but you haven't changed at all."
During Wang's recent visit, however, Yang teared up at the sight of his younger son as he spent a few minutes with them.
"We were forced to hang up only after 10 minutes of conversation. One of Yang Hua's inmates laid him on his back and carried him to the meeting room," Wang said.
"Yang Hua cried when he saw his younger son, but we didn't cry. We were so happy and full of gratefulness and peace," she added.
Pastor Yang has asked for prayer from the worldwide church.
