TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- A young fishery worker from Indonesia received life-saving surgery in late April thanks a donation from his employer and a number of organizations.

The 22-year-old man, who goes by the nickname "Hsiao Wa" (小瓦), had come from Sinjai on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia to Taiwan to earn money as a member of a fishing crew. However he developed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a form of heart disease that can affect all ages and can suddenly surface.

When the man was diagnosed with the disease, he told his captain about his condition and applied for termination of his contract to immediately return home for treatment. He was given his salary in full, but a day before his return to Indonesia he had to be rushed to Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital because his condition had deteriorated.

He was told by doctors that he urgently needed to undergo an operation to treat the condition, but the cost would be NT$1,030,000 (US$34,000). Fortunately, his boss, surnamed Lin, wanted to make sure he could afford the procedure so he have a new lease on life.

Among other donors, Lin personally donated NT$150,000, an Indonesian agency provided NT$125,000, and the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office (IETO) in Taipei asked the International Seafarers Association to donate the remaining NT$390,000.

His procedure was a complete success and he is expected to have a full recovery. He was able to return to Indonesia on April 28.