St. Mary's Hospital, which is under the Hualien diocese of the Catholic Church and whose mission is "to serve the poor," emerged as a staunch ally of Aboriginal communities in the course of the August 8 disaster, building on the foundation of personal relationships laid in the process of St. Mary's long-running program of sending medical personnel into villages to provide at-home medical care. What makes the St Mary's people especially unique is that, besides providing front-line assistance like medical treatment, psychological therapy, prayer meetings, and delivery of material goods, they also include aromatherapy massage.

St. Mary's Hospital aromatherapist Nicole Wu has observed that after natural disasters most victims are in a state of shock and anxiety. Common symptoms include headaches, insomnia, and indigestion, with people feeling "locked up, tied up tight." Some even exhibit lethargy, withdrawal, or catatonia.

The goal in offering aromatherapy to disaster victims is to reduce stress and help them relax. But it is not just one directional, with the therapist able to deliver a treatment to a patient regardless of the patient's attitude. It is necessary to first win the understanding and acceptance of the client. "Older women in particular are not used to having their bodies touched by strangers," says Nicole, "so when we begin I have to 'beg their permission' to let me massage them!"

The essential oils that Nicole meticulously prepares include ingredients Roman chamomile (representing the idea "nothing lasts forever, so learn to let go"), suitable for victims of shock; gum rockrose (Cistus ladanifer), which can help people find spiritual calm when extremely painful events occur; lavender, an aid in sleeping; sandalwood (balancing the sympathin or noradrenaline and capacity of the internal organs), which alleviates anxiety and depression; and peppermint, which offers relief for muscular pain and headaches. The main techniques include letting the patient inhale the fragrance and applying oil to the neck and shoulders for a massage. Each person gets 15 minutes, but Nicole observes that "in fact most people feel quite relaxed just from smelling the fragrance of essential oils."

Steadily, people have gone from standoffish to lining up for massages. Because the service is provided every day, to 30 persons per day, Nicole has been training local residents in massage techniques, and aromatherapists from Taitung and beyond have also volunteered their skills. The disaster victims, moved by the continuous and genuine care, applaud and call out "mashalu" ("thank you" in the Paiwan language) when the team leaves for the day.

Nicole, who reports in at Jialan Village virtually every day, has been able to tangibly sense the change in mood among the disaster victims: Most of them are much more physically relaxed and supple, and their color has improved. People who needed sedatives to nod off now are able to sleep well on their own. Melancholy people have become more talkative and smile more often.

Nicole has been doing aromatherapy for well over a decade now. Formerly most of her clients were the leisured wealthy, but since taking her job in July, she has not only been working in the disaster area, in normal times she also handles the exercise class for diabetes patients and aromatherapy classes for local residents, and helps out in the hospice ward. Although she gets awfully tired, she is more certain than ever of the value of "bringing aromatherapy to ordinary people." The St. Mary's team plans to initiate a class for local young people to train them in a specialized skill and make a contribution to community health.