"I've been waiting all this time just for today, to ride the rides."
Nine-year-old Seol Yu-na rode attractions with her family at Lotte World in Seoul's Songpa district on the 22nd. For Seol, whose long course of treatment had made family trips to amusement parks difficult, the day was a rare chance to leave the hospital and spend time with her family.
"I was so envious when I saw friends going to amusement parks with their families on weekends, and today it feels like that dream came true," Seol said. "I had a great time riding the attractions and looking around the aquarium."
Ahead of the Chuseok holiday, children being treated for or recovering from serious illnesses including pediatric cancer, along with their families, spent a day at the amusement park.
Asan Medical Center invited 60 young patients and family members to Lotte World that day for the outing. The event was arranged so that children whose treatment has limited their outings and family activities could spend time with their families outside the hospital.
The event is part of "Our Heroes," a community outreach program run jointly by Asan Medical Center, the HD Hyundai 1% Foundation and ChildFund Korea. It was designed to support children and families who have been fighting illness over long periods.
The children and their families rode attractions including the Viking and carousel at Lotte World and watched a parade. They also visited the aquarium and the Seoul Sky observation deck. The HD Hyundai 1% Foundation provided admission to Lotte World Adventure, the aquarium and Seoul Sky, along with meals and souvenirs.
For the families, too, it had been a long time since any outing.
Lee Malgeunhaneul, the mother of one patient, said she had always been cautious even about short trips because of her child's condition and the risk of infection. "Today we could set those worries aside for a while and be together as a whole family, and that was good," she said.
"Watching my child laugh, joke around and run about while riding the attractions, it felt like we had recovered the ordinary days we had forgotten," she added. "I hope today's happy memory will be a source of strength for my child, who has endured such difficult treatment."
Siblings of the young patients also joined the event. Seol Ye-jun, 12, said it was the first time he had been to an amusement park with his younger sister. "While she was in treatment we had no chance to go out, which was disappointing, but I'm happy that the whole family came out together," he said.
"Our Heroes" began in May. At the time, about 40 pediatric cancer patients and family members spent two days in Ulsan touring the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries yard and watching an Ulsan HD FC professional soccer match. The program let them experience industrial and sports settings rarely accessible from the hospital or a hospital room.
Medical staff from Asan Medical Center also took part in this outing. Kang Sung-han, a professor in the pediatric hematology and oncology department at the children's hospital, and Lee Eun-ok, a nurse on the pediatric palliative care team, spent time with the children and their families and helped support the trip.
"At the hospital, treatment takes up so much attention that we rarely see these children run and play freely or share ordinary days with their families, so seeing them smiling and enjoying themselves at the amusement park today is a joy for us as medical staff," Kang said. "I hope the children, who have endured long treatment, will draw strength from today's happy memory with their families and grow up healthier and brighter."
