Request for Treatment Fundraising Support
Walking from Busan to Seoul in 24 Days
Jeon Yosep, who has been traveling across the country to seek donations for the medical expenses of his 4-year-old daughter suffering from a rare disease, arrived at his final destination, Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, on the afternoon of the 29th, and is kissing his daughter who came to greet him. Photo by Yonhap News
Jeon Yosep, who embarked on a cross-country march from Busan to Seoul to raise funds for the treatment of his 4-year-old daughter suffering from a rare disease with no cure in Korea, arrived at his final destination, Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, on the afternoon of the 29th.
Earlier, Jeon publicly requested support as he set out on the walking journey to cover the overwhelming medical expenses for his daughter. Jeon's journey, which began on the 5th, spread widely through various communities and social networking services, drawing significant attention. Netizens responded warmly with comments such as "Please let a miracle happen," "I donated a small amount," "As a father myself, tears just keep flowing," "I can't even imagine a father's feelings," "Sincerely supporting you," "What is a child? What is love?" and "If there is a god, please help." Along with these reactions, 1.37 billion won in donations was raised while he walked 740 km.
Despite heavy snowfall, Jeon arrived at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul and handed a hot pack to his 4-year-old daughter, Sarang, who had come to greet him. When the bright-faced Sarang pointed to the banner hanging on Jeon's back and asked, "What is this?" he smiled and replied, "It's a beautiful letter." Jeon's wife, Lee Sang-ah, who was watching this scene, shed tears.
Sarang is suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a disease in which muscles degenerate and eventually the patient loses the ability to breathe independently. In girls, the symptoms appear with a probability of one in 50 million. The only hope is the recently developed gene therapy drug "Elevatis" in the United States, but it has not yet been introduced in Korea. The cost of the drug alone reaches 4.6 billion won.
"Thank you for coming into this world and becoming my daughter... Sarang, I love you"
Jeon said, "It felt like trying to break a rock with an egg, and the future looked bleak even as I walked, but at some point, each person gathered small lights that gave me strength," expressing his gratitude, "I sincerely thank the people of the nation." He added, "Children with progressive muscular diseases have the strongest muscle strength today," and said, "I hope the treatment will be introduced in Korea as soon as possible and covered by insurance so that no more patients fall into despair and shed tears."
To his daughter Sarang, he said, "Actually, Dad is not without sadness or pain. But I am thankful and happy that you came into this world and became my daughter. You are the treasure and everything to Mom and Dad. Sarang, I love you," which brought tears to those around him.
The donations Jeon collected will be delivered to Sarang's Fruit of Love and will be used specifically for Sarang. Fruit of Love will also conduct a special fundraising campaign for Sarang.
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