JYP Entertainment Fully Sponsors Surgery Costs
Severance Hospital invited a young patient from the Philippines suffering from myelomeningocele-a rare congenital disorder that occurs in fewer than one out of every 1,000 births-to South Korea for treatment.
On December 26, Severance Hospital announced that it had invited 10-year-old Joanna (Babaran Johanna Lyn Fuentes) from the Philippines for surgery and treatment as part of its medical support program, the Global Severance Global Charity initiative.
Joanna was born with an open neural tube. The neural tube, which forms the basis for the development of the brain and spinal cord, should close during the third to fourth week of pregnancy. If the neural tube connecting the head and lower back fails to close at the head, anencephaly can occur; if it fails to close at the lower back, the meninges and spinal cord protrude externally, resulting in myelomeningocele.
The most common symptoms of myelomeningocele include paralysis of the lower limbs, muscle weakness, and problems with bladder and bowel control. Surgery to close the neural tube is typically required immediately after birth, but Joanna missed the optimal treatment window due to the poor medical environment and financial difficulties in the Philippines.
Until she received surgery, Joanna lived with lower body paralysis caused by myelomeningocele and relied on her parents for daily activities while attending school. Recently, her condition worsened as the nerves protruding from her spine deteriorated, causing severe pain that made it impossible for her to sit or even lie down straight. As a result, she was forced to stop attending school and struggled to sleep at night.
Lee Junghyun, a missionary with the Presbyterian Church of Korea (Tonghap), learned of Joanna’s situation while working in a Philippine slum and informed Severance Hospital. In response, the hospital selected Joanna as a beneficiary of its program, which brings patients from medically underserved countries to South Korea, covers the full cost of their surgery, and provides treatment.
Professor Kim Dongseok, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Severance Hospital who performed the surgery, first addressed the meningocele sac protruding through the gap in Joanna’s unclosed neural tube. He separated the nerve tissues inside the sac from the surrounding tissues and returned them to their proper place inside the spine. Special attention was paid to preventing further nerve damage and pain from external stimuli, as well as minimizing the risk of infection. Before surgery, Joanna was unable to lie flat due to the protruding meningocele sac on her back, but she recovered quickly after the operation and can now sleep comfortably in a proper position.
Professor Kim said, “If Joanna had received surgery as a child, she would not have had to suffer for so long. I am very happy that she can now return to the Philippines in good health and resume her daily life, free from pain.” Joanna also expressed her gratitude, saying, “Thank you to the Severance doctors who treated me. Salamat (Thank you).”
Meanwhile, the entire cost of Joanna’s surgery was sponsored by JYP Entertainment. In April last year, JYP Entertainment signed a social contribution agreement to support medical expenses for pediatric and adolescent patients from vulnerable groups in South Korea and abroad, and has since donated a cumulative total of 700 million won to Yonsei Medical Center. Last year, the company also invited and treated another young patient from the Philippines suffering from congenital heart disease, Tetralogy of Fallot.
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