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Another dream come true

Published: 14 Nov. 2009, 09:39

Sean (Noh Seung-hwan), left, donated 100 million won to help Park Seung-il realize his dream of opening a long-term care facility for people with ALS. [JoongAng Ilbo]

Park Seung-il, 38, a former professional basketball coach who has long battled amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gerhrig’s disease, finally has someone who can fulfill his wish to establish a long-term care facility for other people afflicted with the disease.

That person is Sean, 37, a former Korean pop singer who is renowned for being an enthusiastic and generous contributor to various causes.

Sean, also known by the Korean name Noh Seung-hwan, and his wife, actress Jeong Hye-young, 36, have both gained recognition in Korea for supporting people in need.

Sean presented the check for 100 million won ($86,400) to Park at the former coach’s residence in Yongin, Gyeonggi, on Saturday. He earned the money by giving special lectures and speeches at universities and churches last year.

“I will request support from over 150 churches across the country to arrange for an additional 750 million won to build the care facility and a fund of 15 million won to cover the monthly operating expenses once the center is built,” Sean said.

When Park became paralyzed from the disease, he began using a specially made computer mouse with an eye-tracking system, to communicate.

Park’s dream has been to build a long-term care facility for ALS patients in order to alleviate the burden on their families. The disease, which is called Lou Gehrig’s disease in North America after the famed baseball player for the New York Yankees who was diagnosed with the disease in the 1930s, is a fatal neural disorder in which the muscles slowly start to weaken and the patient eventually becomes paralyzed.

As the disease spreads to the respiratory organs and they become paralyzed, ALS patients need to use artificial respiratory devices. At this stage, a nurse is also needed to monitor the function of these devices and remove the sputum that can block the airflow in the devices.

People afflicted with ALS who do not have access to this kind of care die more quickly than those who do not.

Sean heard about Park’s wish through a recently-published book. The book is based on 50 e-mails exchanged between Park and Lee Kyu-youn, a reporter for the JoongAng Ilbo, over the last four years.

Sean said that he decided to give a donation to Park right after he finished reading the book, which Sean received from a friend as a gift.

“After finishing the book, I was so brokenhearted thinking about how much Park has suffered,” said Sean. “I had been looking for a place to donate the 100 million won I had raised, and I did not hesitate to give it to Park.”

Since Park and Jeong married in 2004, the couple has been actively involved in raising money to assist people in difficult situations.

“My wife and I began contributing our help because we wanted to live each day happily and to the fullest. That’s all we wanted to do and nothing more,” Sean said. “I hope everyone realizes that sharing is not a big thing, but a natural thing.”

By Lim Mi-jin [[email protected]]