In the ICU, to Father: "Please Deliver This"
"Focus on Surviving Rather Than Hating"
Professor Lee Ji-seon of Ewha Womans University’s Department of Social Welfare, who overcame the pain of full-body burns from a traffic accident and gave hope and inspiration to many, revealed that she had words she wanted to convey to the perpetrator of the accident.
Professor Lee had to quit school after suffering a traffic accident while in her senior year of university. After 23 years, she became a professor and returned to her alma mater, inspiring others once again.
On the 22nd, during her appearance on tvN's "You Quiz on the Block," Professor Lee said, "After the accident, while in the intensive care unit, I heard my father explain the accident to me, and I asked him to tell the driver who caused the accident that I had forgiven them if they ever came to see me."
Professor Lee Ji-seon, Department of Social Welfare, Ewha Womans University. [Photo by tvN 'You Quiz on the Block' capture]
However, the perpetrator never came to see Professor Lee or apologized. She only guessed that they might have been punished by the law.
Professor Lee said, "Usually, they come asking to settle, but no one came," and added, "Isn’t it hard to endure feelings of hatred and anger toward someone? I think that was perhaps a divine mercy so that I could avoid that."
When host Yoo Jae-suk showed anger upon hearing this story, she urged him, saying, "Don’t get angry."
Professor Lee said, "Of course, everyone is different," and regarding the perpetrator not coming to see her, she said, "I think it allowed me to focus my strength on surviving."
Nevertheless, I thought, "I must live"
In this broadcast, Professor Lee also shared the circumstances of the accident.
She said, "I was riding in my older brother’s small car, who was attending a nearby school," and explained that when the traffic light turned red and they stopped, a drunk driver came from behind and crashed into the vehicle carrying her and her brother.
Professor Lee said, "The car behind us, which was at the very end of the line waiting at the signal, hit our car, and then collided with six other vehicles, causing a fire to start," adding, "The fire first caught on my body, and my brother also suffered burns while trying to get me out."
She suffered third-degree burns on 55% of her body from the accident.
Professor Lee explained that burn patients must endure tremendous pain because the damaged skin is removed through surgery, and the affected areas must be continuously disinfected to prevent bacterial infection.
After the accident, when she first saw her own skin, she instinctively felt, "I am in a situation where I cannot survive," and told her mother, "I think I need to say goodbye."
Upon hearing this, Professor Lee’s mother fed her daughter rice and prayed, saying, "Please let this become Ji-seon’s flesh and skin." Professor Lee said, "Seeing my mother like that made me decide to live."
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