Elementary School Girl Who Overcame Incurable Disease Becomes Teacher

Complete Recovery After Struggle for Kim Solbi of Yonggung Elementary School, Gyeongbuk

Passed Secondary Teacher Appointment Exam by Gyeonggi Office of Education

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Koo Dae-sun] It was reported on the 15th that Kim Sol-bi (22, pseudonym), who was attending Yonggung Elementary School in Yecheon-gun, Gyeongbuk Province in 2011, overcame an intractable disease and finally passed the secondary school teacher employment exam conducted by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education this year.

Kim was one of the protagonists featured in the book published by the Gyeongbuk Office of Education in December 2019 titled "20th Anniversary Hope Story for Helping Students with Intractable Diseases - A Miracle for You."

This book was published to give hope to students suffering from intractable diseases and to offer some comfort to the families of students currently battling such illnesses.

Kim is now about to graduate from Korea National University of Education and is a prospective teacher awaiting appointment after passing the secondary school teacher employment exam conducted by the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education.

A booklet published by the Gyeongbuk Office of Education in 2019 containing hopeful stories of students who overcame intractable diseases.

In the fall of 2011, when an intractable disease suddenly struck that rendered more than half of his lungs nonfunctional, he could not breathe on his own and had to use a mask-type oxygen respirator. He had to fight painfully and lonely battles in the intensive care unit of a general hospital. It was so difficult that at a young age, he even told the doctor that he wished he were dead.

After weeks of life-threatening illness, a true miracle happened. As his condition improved, he was moved to a general ward, began breathing without the oxygen respirator, was able to sit up, use a wheelchair, and eventually walk on his own.

His lung function, which was 40% compared to a normal person just before discharge, quickly improved to 80%, 90%, and now has fully recovered to 100%.

Despite his young age, Kim, whose family was not financially well-off, worried a lot about medical expenses. At that time, he did not know that his treatment costs were supported by the Gyeongbuk Office of Education’s "Medical Expense Support Project for Students with Intractable Diseases."

The Gyeongbuk Office of Education has been promoting the "Helping Students with Intractable Diseases Project" nationwide since 2001, and on April 7, 2006, World Health Day, it received the "Presidential Group Commendation."

So far, it has supported medical expenses totaling 11.62 billion KRW for 1,397 people, among whom 129 have been completely cured, and 209 continue to receive management and treatment support.

Im Jong-sik, Superintendent of Gyeongbuk Education, said, "Congratulations to student Kim Sol-bi for realizing her dream," and added, "We will continue to spare no support so that students with intractable diseases do not lose their dreams and can move forward strongly toward tomorrow."