"Collected Whenever Missing Their Husbands"... Firefighters Shed Tears Over Anonymous Letter

30s Woman Thanks Rescuer Who Helped Transport Husband
"Collected Whenever I Thought of My Husband" Donation Included

"When I wanted to have a cup of coffee with my husband, when I wanted to buy clothes for him, when I wanted to treat him to something delicious, I saved little by little. I want to thank those who worked hard that day."

A woman in her 30s who lost her husband a year ago anonymously expressed her gratitude to the rescue workers who transported her husband to the hospital.

According to the JoongAng Ilbo and the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 25th, a special gift was delivered to the Gwangju Fire Station in Gyeonggi on the 15th. The gift box contained snacks such as waffles, 50 drinks, and a white envelope. Inside the envelope were a letter and 2 million won in cash.

A's handwritten letter sent to Gwangju Fire Station in Gyeonggi Province
[Photo by Gyeonggi Fire Disaster Headquarters, Yonhap News]

In the letter, the anonymous donor introduced herself as "a mother of a beautiful daughter and the wife of a man rescued by the rescue workers exactly one year ago today." She recalled, "That day is still vivid. On that cold, snowy day, the rescue workers tried their best to rescue him as quickly as possible, forgetting the cold. Even while transferring him to the ambulance after the rescue, they ran alongside to provide as much emergency care as possible. They put my husband in a separate ambulance and took him to the hospital, explaining everything carefully so I wouldn’t be shocked, and tried to get him there quickly. It feels like it was just yesterday, but a year has passed."

The donor explained the story behind the enclosed 2 million won, saying, "Today, one year later, is both my beautiful daughter's birthday and my husband's death anniversary. It was hard, scary, and frightening for this day to come, so I thought of creating something to bring a little happiness. Whenever I wanted to have a cup of coffee with my husband, buy him clothes, or treat him to something delicious, I saved little by little."

She added, "It would be nice to buy something in my husband's name for my child's birthday, but I think my husband would feel that 'my wife is doing really well' if I express my gratitude to those who worked hard that day. Since then, seeing ambulances was suffocatingly hard, but thinking this way and making this resolution has made it less difficult to see ambulances than before." She continued, "I want to do more with my heart, but I have only raised my child within my husband's shelter and just started working again with a modest income, so compared to my grateful heart, the amount is very small. Please accept it without burden and use it where the rescue workers need it most."

After the Gwangju Fire Station reported it to the Gyeonggi Fire and Disaster Headquarters, they immediately sought to find the donor. While snacks and drinks were acceptable, the 2 million won in cash violated the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act (Kim Young-ran Act).

50 Drinks Sent by Mr. A to Gwangju Fire Station, Gyeonggi Province
[Photo by Gyeonggi Fire Disaster Headquarters, Yonhap News]

Through the beverage delivery company, the identity of the anonymous donor was revealed to be a woman in her 30s, Ms. A. Her husband, Mr. B, who was a heavy equipment operator, collapsed at the worksite on December 15 last year, which was their daughter's birthday. It was due to a chronic illness he had been suffering from. The paramedics who immediately responded provided emergency treatment and continued CPR while transporting Mr. B to the hospital, but he ultimately passed away.

Officials from the Gwangju Fire Station personally sought out Ms. A to return the money. Ms. A bowed her head again, saying, "Thank you so much for helping at that time," but refused to take the money back, saying, "Since the money has already been given, I will not take it back." After repeated persuasion by the firefighters, Ms. A expressed her intention to donate the money to help underprivileged neighbors in her husband's name. The fire station gifted school supplies to Ms. A's daughter, who will enter elementary school next year.

An official from the Gwangju Fire Station said, "When a patient being transported dies, sometimes the bereaved families blame us, but the letter from Ms. A saying 'thank you' deeply moved all the fire station staff," and added, "We hope Ms. A and her daughter live happily and well."