Manal Samir Ayoub, chairman of Zahrat Al-Tahrir (Flower of Liberation), an Egyptian newspaper, meets Qu Chongkun, an 82-year-old veteran medical expert from Qingdao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine on May 29, to express her deep gratitude for his help in improving her son's health. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Manal Samir Ayoub, the chairwoman of Flower of Liberation, a newspaper in Alexandria, Egypt, says traditional Chinese medicine has been a miracle for her family.

Her son, Samy, was bedridden for three years due to diseases that caused severe joint pain and abdominal pain, with Egyptian doctors diagnosing his condition as chronic and predicting a prolonged period of bedridden illness.

Samy, 33, has now returned to work, with his mother saying, "It's the traditional Chinese medicine that brought hope to our family."

The family's connection with TCM began in November when Ayoub turned to the Chinese Consulate-General in Alexandria to seek help for her son, eager to give TCM a try.

A delegation led by Wang Luming, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Qingdao Municipal People's Congress, was visiting Egypt at the time, and when he learned about Samy's condition he contacted a medical team at Qingdao Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which is based in the Shibei district of Qingdao, Shandong province.

The team, led by Qu Chongkun, an 82-year-old medical expert, communicated with the family online and decided to treat Samy using herbal medicine after studying his condition.

Overcoming difficulties, including distance and language barriers, with the help of staff members from Qingdao's foreign affairs office and the city's health commission, the team proceeded with the treatment.

Qingdao authorities also coordinated with companies in the city to arrange the transport of herbal medicine to Samy's family in Egypt.

Ayoub said the treatment and herbal medicine greatly benefited her son's health. Initially, she did not expect the treatment to be effective so quickly, but within several months, Samy's health improved significantly.

"My son now lives a normal life, and he has returned to work," she said on the sidelines of a cultural exchange event in Qingdao on Wednesday.

The event, featuring four people from media organizations in Alexandria, focused on experiencing TCM culture at the hospital in Qingdao.

As her son received treatment from China, Ayoub began to read extensively about TCM in newspapers and books.

"It surprised me that the effectiveness of TCM always exceeds expectations," she said, adding that she would like to see more TCM services made available in Egypt.

During the exchange event, Ayoub met Qu and presented two metal plaques to show her deep appreciation to the hospital and its medical personnel for their efforts in helping her family.

"Each plaque weighs 5 kilograms, and I brought them from Egypt to show my sincere appreciation for the help from Qingdao," she said.

Qu said Samy's health condition was not good when he first reviewed the clinical records last year, and his team did their best to offer traditional Chinese solutions to help him.

"I am happy to see the patient has recovered from his illness," he said. "Today I spoke to the mother, learned more about her son's condition and provided further health advice."

Wang said the treatment showcased the deep friendship between China and Egypt, and the way that TCM can serve as a bridge to connect people from both countries.