이렇게 좋은 기사가.. 코리아타임즈였슴다.

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http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/sports/200301/kt2003012116555011620.htm

Former Basketball Player Battles ALS


A former pro basketball player is battling hard to establish a medical facility for those with Lou Gehrig’s disease despite the ravages of the incurable disease upon his own body.
After ending his days as a backup player, Park Seung-il seemed to begin a new life in the spring of 2002 as a trainer for the Mobis Automons at the age of 32, the youngest ever in Korean Basketball League (KBL) history.

One month later, however, Park was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, named after the baseball great who was the disease’s most famous victim.

To his great regret, Park had to resign in July.

``I thought it was just a nightmare. I wanted to wake up as soon as possible,’’ Park told The Korea Times.

ALS is a progressive disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

``I can barely use my two hands and my left leg is showing signs of paralysis. Now, I can’t even eat without help,’’ said the 33-year-old, whose pronunciation also was indistinctive sometimes during the interview.

As ALS destroys motor neurons connecting the brain to the muscles, patients in the later stages become totally paralyzed and up to 70 percent of patients die within five years of contracting the disease.

``However, their minds remain unaffected for the vast majority of patients. That adds to the sorrow of the patient and family members,’’ said Prof. Kang Seong-woong of the Rehabilitation Medicine Dept. for Yongdong Severance Hospital in Kangnam, southwestern Seoul.

According to Prof. Kang, South Korea has at least 1,500 ALS patients. The number is calculated by using statistics compiled in the U.S., where five out of 100,000 people suffer from Lou Gehrig’s patients.

Park accepted his grim reality and is volunteering to improve public awareness of ALS, still considered a rare disease in Korea. He is also carrying out a fund-raising campaign to build a clinic exclusively for ALS patients.

``We can’t live a day without help from caretakers. Family members usually take up the nurse’s role, sacrificing their lives. The clinic will greatly reduce the burden of family members,’’ explained Park, who is currently under round-the-clock care by his 63-year-old mother.

``I am a 2.02-meter-tall patient, who needs at least two male caretakers for proper assistance. Now my mother, who is also suffering from osteoporosis, gives me muscle massages even though she has her own life to take care of,’’ he said.

Park also peppered criticism on the government’s welfare policies. ``There are many Lou Gehrig’s patients in Korea. But the government doesn’t pay attention to them, because it’s hard to gain desired results in a short period of time.’’

Even though there will definitely be no short-term results, Park and his supporters are determined to do something meaningful for Lou Gehrig’s patients. They launched an Internet cafe in November last year at http://cafe.daum.net/alswithpark to promote awareness and raise funds for the clinic.

``More than 2,120 people have joined the cafe and we have garnered approximately 7 million won ($5,800) through various campaigns like a one-day tea shop event,’’ Park explained.

He also knows that the money they have gathered so far is far short of the necessary amount, but he said with some confidence, ``It’s a good start.’’

Park estimates that at least 5 billion won ($4.1 million) is needed to set up the medical facility.

Helping hands from Park’s friends are also boosting his confidence. When asked who is financially assisting him, Park tried hard to correctly pronounce all the names in a token of appreciation for their heart-felt support.

Major Leaguer Park Chan-ho also gave him some help. The Texas Rangers’ starting pitcher visited his home in Yongin, Kyonggi Province, last December and promised to extend his help.

``To my regret, there has been no progress since then. However, he attributed to me a lot in terms of publicity. I hope we can keep in contact to develop our good relationship,’’ Park Seung-il said.

To express his appreciation for those who have helped him, he is trying to update the cafe everyday with new articles on all of his physical changes as well as his life story.

``My fingers become numb these days. I feel my body is deteriorating sooner than expected. It’s becoming hard to type what I want to say. I hope my friends can understand lots of typos,’’ Park added.

He wrote an article in the cafe on Nov. 16, ``I want to live even just for one day, running down the court like I used to.’’

His wish to run on the court is now rallying support for another dream – better awareness of ALS and a treatment facility for patients here.

By Park Song-wu Staff Reporter



im@koreatimes.co.kr


01-21-2003 16:56