Mark Selikoff

Mark Morris Selikoff (July 23, 1969 – October 25, 2012), known professionally in Taiwan as Shi Make (Chinese: 石馬克), was an American-born Taiwanese entertainer from Minnesota. Known for his shaved head and muscular physique, he was a frequent guest on Taiwanese variety shows such as Kangsi Coming, Celebrity Sports Day (大明星運動會), Everybody Talks Nonsense (全民大悶鍋),^[1] and The World is Different (世界大不同).^[2]

Selikoff came to Taiwan alone and lived there for about 16 years,^[1] primarily working as an English teacher and a television personality. His fluency in Mandarin and his on-screen presence made him a regular guest on several variety shows, with his appearances on Kangsi Coming being the most well-known to audiences. He married Huang Ying-hui, with whom he had a son and a daughter. His wife is a Taiwanese indigenous person from the Tao's Yuren (Fisherman) tribe on Orchid Island.^[3]

Around 2:00 AM on September 27, 2006, while riding a 50cc scooter alone in Taoyuan, Selikoff lost control and crashed into a median strip, suffering severe brain trauma.^[4][3] He was rushed to the hospital and underwent two major surgeries, during which a portion of his left skull was removed. Afterward, he fell into a deep coma with a GCS of 6. Doctors stated there was a 95% chance he would remain in a persistent vegetative state.^[4] Following the accident, his mother and sister traveled from Minnesota to Taiwan to be with him.^[4]

More than a month after the accident, in early November 2006, Selikoff miraculously regained partial consciousness. He was able to open his eyes and showed slight reactions to his wife's visits. His condition improved enough for him to be moved from the intensive care unit to a general ward.^[5] However, the language area of his brain was damaged, and he developed complications such as pneumonia and gastritis from being bedridden, beginning a long road to recovery.^[5][3]

During more than six years of being bedridden, he underwent over 20 brain surgeries and was cared for primarily by his wife, Huang Ying-hui, and a caregiver.^[6] She once stated, "I always feel that to love someone is to have no regrets, willingly and gladly. Although it's hard, I am willing, because he is my husband, the man I deeply love, and the father of my children."^[7][8] Because Selikoff only had National Health Insurance and no life insurance, and had never applied for permanent residency, the substantial medical and care costs placed the family in financial hardship. Friends organized a fundraising event for him.^[4][1][3] Before the Lunar New Year in 2008, Selikoff developed a high fever due to sepsis, and the hospital issued a critical condition notice, but he once again miraculously pulled through.^[6]

On October 25, 2012, at 11:00 AM, Selikoff passed away at the age of 43.^[2] His wife, Huang Ying-hui, confirmed the news on her blog, expressing her grief that his passing was very sudden and that she and their children were not by his side.^[8] She wrote, "I know it's been 6 years, and a bedridden patient, declared a vegetable by doctors, would pass away one day, but it shouldn't have been... it really shouldn't have been when no one was with him."^[6][9][8] According to Huang, her husband's condition worsened at home while under the care of a caregiver. By the time she was rushing back, he had already passed away. He was rushed to St. Paul's Hospital in Taoyuan for final emergency treatment, where he was pronounced dead an hour later.^[6][8]

His funeral arrangements were kept simple, and the family followed his final wishes to arrange for their children to be brought back to the United States to live.^[7] Upon hearing the news of his death, host Tung Chih-cheng expressed his regret, saying, "He really liked Taiwan and always wanted to be an entertainer. It's a shame his dream was not fulfilled before the accident happened."^[2]