Cambodian boy's life transformed after meeting with Korea's first lady

Social Affairs

Published: 17 Jun. 2024, 18:22 Updated: 17 Jun. 2024, 18:32

Cambodian boy's life transformed after meeting with Korea's first lady

Aok Rotha, who has long suffered from a congenital heart disease, dribbles a ball in a yard at Hebron Medical Center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on June 4. Rotha received heart surgery in 2018 but was unable to afford follow-up surgery due to his family's economic hardship. During the Cambodian visit, first lady Kim Keon Hee visited a hospital and the boy's home and discussed ways to provide treatment. [JOONGANG ILBO]

A young Cambodian heart patient got a second chance at life when he met Korea's first lady Kim Keon Hee in 2022. He now dreams of using his newfound health to defend his country.

Aok Rotha, a 14-year-old boy, was suffering from Tetralogy of Fallot, a combination of four congenital heart defects that affect blood flow through the heart and lungs, causing brain abscesses.

In January 2018, a Korean surgical team performed a BT shunt procedure on him at Hebron Medical Center — a facility established in 2007 by South Korean pediatrician Dr. Kim Woo-jung — in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, but inadequate follow-up care led to a blockage in the shunt, or a tube in his heart.

Rotha struggled with severe symptoms, including shortness of breath, headaches and frequent fainting. “I had to eat lying down because I couldn’t sit properly, and I blacked out occasionally,” he recalled when he met with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, on June 4 at a conference room in Hebron Medical Center.

A year and a half later, Rotha is as healthy as a typical child.

First lady Kim Keon Hee holds Aok Rotha while visiting his home in Phnom Penh on Nov. 12, 2022. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

Rotha got the chance of a lifetime when first lady Kim Keon Hee visited his home in Phnom Penh in November 2022 while accompanying the president on an official trip.

He was supposed to be present when Kim visited Hebron Medical Center, but his poor health prevented him from doing so.

Kim instead paid a personal visit to his home, offering words of encouragement to his family. “There is certainly hope. Please don’t give up under any circumstances and keep going.”

Photos of Kim holding Rotha were plastered all over Korean newspapers. This led to a flood of donations, though the photos also sparked a backlash from critics who accused the first lady of staging the scene.

In November 2022, things took a turn for the worse when his blood oxygen saturation plummeted, and he began showing signs of cyanosis, with his skin and lips turning bluish due to a lack of oxygen in the blood.

Hearing about his critical condition, specialists and nurses from Asan Medical Center were dispatched to Phnom Penh and transferred him to Seoul.

Dr. Yun Tae-jin from the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Department performed surgery and successfully cleared his brain abscesses.

By Feb. 1, 2023, Rotha was discharged from the hospital in good health. After two additional weeks at Hebron Medical Center, he was ready to get back on his feet.

Rotha did not forget to express gratitude to the medical staffers who helped him recover from his heart disease.

“I miss the doctors and nurses who helped me get better. I am grateful,” Rotha said. His 39-year-old brother Nara, who accompanied Rotha for the interview, shed tears listening to his story.

Asan Medical Center and its foundation covered the 82 million won ($59,420) cost of his surgery and treatment.

Fourteen-year-old boy Aok Rotha and his eldest brother Aok Nara pose for a photo at Hebron Medical Center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on June 6. The football is from President Yoon Suk Yeol.

“I can now play tag with my friends, play ball and ride a bike,” Rotha said. His four follow-up examinations showed no signs of abnormality. “I was upset and sad when I couldn’t play with friends, but now I feel comfortable running around and no longer suffer from headaches."

Nara also said, "Before the surgery in Korea, Rotha could barely walk and had to lie down all day, but now he is healthy.”

“I was sad when Rotha could barely eat due to sickness, but I am pleased that the surgery went well,” Nara added.

The first lady also paid a visit when he was hospitalized in Seoul.

Following Rotha’s successful surgery, President Yoon and the first lady invited Rotha to the presidential office in Yongsan.

President Yoon gave Rotha a football as a gift, recalling that Rotha never played sports. The ball was worn out when he showcased it during an interview. Rotha, in return, presented a thank-you card with flower decorations.

Aok Rotha sits for an interview at a conference room in Hebron Medical Center in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on June 4.

Rotha said his favorite Korean dish is kimchi, particularly kkakdugi — radish Kimchi, which his local church provides along with other Korean dishes.

Rotha aspires to be a soldier. “I want to defend the country,” he said. Nara also said he would work hard to support his family. Nara works as a cleaner at a gas station, earning $290 per month, while his eldest son earns $200 per month working at a factory.

Being the eldest of ten siblings, Nara takes care of nine family members, including his mother. “We spend a lot of money on the diapers my mom needs,” he said. Fortunately, the Hebron Medical offers its Care After Program, which provides $40 monthly for Rotha's education.

Rotha has become a symbol of the friendly relationship between South Korea and Cambodia. During his visit to Korea last month, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet expressed gratitude for the care extended to Rotha.

Despite Rotha's improved health, he remains poorly nourished. "We prescribed Rotha vitamins during his April checkup," said Hebron Medical Center’s team manager, Sunwoo Jin-ju.

BY SHIN SUNG-SIK, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]