Marami Maraming Salamat Ppo! (Thank you very much)
Marami Maraming Salamat Ppo! (Thank you very much)
Marami Maraming Salamat Ppo! – with his two hands faithfully folded together, a foreign man constantly poured out a heartfelt message of appreciation on 7 April 2014 at the West 6 hospital ward of Seoul National University Children’s Hospital
The person behind the story is Mr. Juneto with the Philippines nationality (age 33), an ordinary young man living in Dabaw City in the Philippines. Juneto had been leading a humble and impoverished life and at the age of twenty-one, he faced the risk of almost losing his life after receiving a heart operation; however, he miraculously recovered and from that moment his life was renewed as he made his mind to study theology and devote his life as a pastor.
In 2009 Juneto met Jennifer (age 29) and the two soon married. The newlywed couple built their first home at a shabby attic that was even without ceiling; the couple made temporary ceilings and happily started their family life together.
On 21 April 2012, their love Jacob (boy) was born to the couple. Though Jacob was born at a small shabby attic, so small that one cannot even properly take a seat, the couple was so happy to have their first child. However, when Juneto first saw his boy’s face, his eyes were soon swelled up with tears. His heart was broken, unable to express how sorry he was to his son.
Unlike other children, Jacob had his lip and alveolus completely split; he was a so-called ‘cleft lip patient’ more commonly known as ‘harelip.’ ‘Cleft lip’ is the most common facial congenital malformations.
The Philippine doctor (Dr. Fernando at the Manila Rizal Hospital) who saw Jacob cautiously said the success rate of the operation was only 50%, reminding how serious Jacob’s condition was.
Juneto’s heart failed. Even though Jacob luckily got the chance of operation, the problem still remained; an expensive medical expense, but most of all, the low success rate. If it went wrong, Jacob had to live with that sequelae or the rest of his life.
At that time, Pastor Dong-Hyun Kang, serving as a missionary in the Philippines, happened to listen to the heart-breaking story of Jacob’s family and inquired through his friend whether an operation could be conducted in Korea.
Many people joined to help Jacob’s family. Thanks to the help provided by Dr. Hyun-Cheol Kim, Seoul National University College of Medicine alumnus and Director of Chungdam Seoul Plastic Surgery, SNUH International Education Fund agreed to pay the full cost of Jacob’s medical treatment, which amounted to 4.3 million KRW. The operation was led by Prof. Sukwha Kim at the Dept. of Pediatric Plastic Surgery of SNU Children’s Hospital. Pastor Dong-Hyun Kang provided assistance for entry visa issuance and interpretation.
Confirmation Note on Operation Reservation was sent by SNUH to Juneto, who may not easily qualify for Korean visitor’s visa without it.
At last, 23-month-old Jacob and his parents entered the Korean territory through Incheon International Airport on 31 March 2014 and Jacob was soon admitted to SNU Children’s Hospital.
Tightly holding Juneto’s two hands, Prof. Sukwha Kim assured the worrying father, saying “The success rate may be 50% in the Philippines, but it is 100% here in Korea.”
Jacob was led to the operation room at the third floor of the Children’s Hospital at 11:00 am on 1 April 2014. Prof. Sukwha Kim conducted a plastic surgery on Jacob’s cleft lip. The two-hour-long operation was successfully completed and Jacob now has healthy and normal lip, just like any other children. After the operation, Jacob came back to his bed after waking up from anesthesia at the recovery room.
Juneto said, “I could learn God’s will and faithful love towards me and my son. I would like to thank many people for their help, especially Prof. Sukwha Kim, Director Hyun-Cheol Kim, and Pastor Dong-Hyun Kang.”
Prof. Kim said, “The operation was very successful. As the child grows up, there may be a need for another operation as secondary deformities occurs on lip and nose approximately at the age of five; and bone graft on the cleft of alveolus should be conducted at the age of nine to ten when the root of permanent teeth of canine is partially formed.”
With his face fully recovered and his heart cherished with beautiful memories, Jacob was discharged from the Children’s Hospital with his parents on 7 April and the family flew back to their home in the Philippines.