Foundation Helps Sick Children Smile

The absence of hair and eyebrows and the patches of bruised flesh around his face and neck was a telltale sign as to the pain that 7-year-old Lee Tae-hyun had gone through. Tae-hyun was suffering from a rare form of leukemia.

His mother Song Geum-young (38, Gyeonggi) says, “Last year when he had chemotherapy and two marrow transplants, he couldn’t even catch his breath.”

Laughter found Tae-hyun’s family for the first time in a long while. It was the first family vacation in 16 months. The trip was to present Tae-hyun with his long-desired astronomical telescope. Stuck in his room or at the hospital all day, Tae-hyun had yearned for the stars.

His father Gi-young (38) said heartily, “Last year we didn’t know if the grass was green or if the flowers had bloomed,” as he gave his frail son a piggyback ride.

Tae-hyun’s wish came true through the Korean Make A Wish foundation, helping children with rare diseases realize their dreams.

The foundation invited the family over to an astronomical observatory session at a youth camp in Gyeonggi.

As soon as he set foot inside the observatory, the little boy’s eyes grew as round as saucers. The doors to the assembly hall opened to reveal a path lined with lit candles all the way to the stage.

The lights flickered on, and a magician came on stage. It was a private performance for the family. Tonight, Tae-hyun’s family was on the top of the world.

When the colorful handkerchief trick was nearly over, the cloth disappeared to reveal an astronomical telescope on stage. Tae-hyun leapt on stage and peered through the lenses.

“I can’t see anything.”

“The lid is still on.”

Laughter pervaded the auditorium at the magician’s words. Even Tae-hyun’s parents were able to laugh to their hearts’ content tonight.

Volunteer supervisor Seo Beom-seok who arranged this event said, “I hope that Tae-hyun will see hope, as well as constellations, through the telescope.”

Jae-Myoung Lee egija@donga.com