[Korean Federation of People with Short Stature Disability] Bucheon 'Small Stature Persons' Communication and Harmony Event

•  Reporter Kim Ju-yong
•  Approved 2023.08.10 16:55
•  Modified 2023.08.10 16:57
•  2023.08.11 Page 12
• 
  

New Daesung Hospital and 'Summer Camp' for 23 years
Approximately 100 families with short stature diseases participate
Medical lectures and mentor lectures are well received
Sharing success stories of overcoming disabilities, etc.


Source: Incheon Ilbo (https://www.incheonilbo.com) 

Approximately 100 people with short stature disabilities and their families who participated in the Korean Federation of People with Short Stature Disability summer camp held at the Bucheon Korea Hotel are taking a commemorative photo with sponsors / Photo

Provided by Korean Federation of People with Short Stature Disability

In Bucheon, people with short stature disabilities are holding a summer camp and sending a small but big resonance to a society of ignorance and prejudice, drawing attention.

The Korean Federation of People with Short Stature Disability (ALPK, formerly Korean Small Stature Meeting) recently held a 1-night, 2-day summer family camp at the Bucheon Korea Hotel and Yain Era Outdoor Swimming Pool, sponsored by Bucheon New Daesung Hospital, with approximately 100 families with short stature diseases, which are rare and intractable diseases.

This summer camp is in its 23rd year since its first meeting in December 2000. Song Hae-ryong (MD), Director of New Daesung Hospital, started it when he was working at Korea University Guro Hospital with special interest and forming a relationship, and it has continued to this day. In the early 2000s, Director Song became famous as a 'master' in increasing the height of patients with congenital dwarfism and correcting limb deformities. It became a hot topic in the medical community when he retired in February of this year and moved to a small and medium-sized hospital in Bucheon.

Short stature disability refers to people who are significantly shorter than the average person, with a height of 147.5 cm or less when they become adults.

The Korean Federation of People with Short Stature Disability, which organized the event, is a non-profit organization established to protect the rights and interests of people with short stature disabilities who suffer from social prejudice. It is working with various rare disease groups in Korea to pursue the right to receive treatment and rehabilitation together.

The participants in this summer camp proceeded with the following schedules: △medical lectures (dwarfism surgery by Director Song Hae-ryong, growth hormone by Professor Nam Hyo-kyung of Korea University Guro Hospital) △mentor lectures △job experience △talent show △night of sharing △water play.

Musical actor Kim Yu-nam, who gave the mentor lecture, is the son of Federation President Park Jeong-hye, and both mother and son have achondroplasia, and overcame the disability of being 110 cm tall and recently played the role of General Tom Thumb in the musical 'Barnum, The Greatest Showman'. This is the first time in Korea that an actual dwarfism actor has played the role.

Lee Ji-young, who gave another mentor lecture, has achondroplasia, overcame the dwarfism disability of being 110 cm tall, graduated at the top of her class from the Department of Mass Communication at Hanyang University, and joined the HR team at Samsung Techwin. She is currently working as a manager in the business operations team at Hanwha Aerospace. She recently published a book called 'Inconvenient, but'.

Park Jeong-hye, President of the Korean Federation of People with Short Stature Disability, said, “Through this summer camp, families with short stature diseases from all over the country had the opportunity to gather together and communicate.” “It was also great to provide children with the opportunity to meet role models with the same disease and leave them with happy memories.”

Song Hae-ryong, Director of New Daesung Hospital, said, “Over the past 20 years of working with people with short stature disabilities, social prejudice has improved and conditions have improved, but the threshold for discrimination remains.” “Social consideration and policy support are essential so that they can rely on each other, unite, and design a hopeful future even in the midst of psychological and economic difficulties.”

Meanwhile, Bucheon New Daesung Hospital has established a cooperative system with the Korean Federation of People with Short Stature Disability and is providing support for surgery and treatment costs for patients with dwarfism through the Daesung Foundation Social Welfare Foundation.

/Bucheon=Reporter Kim Ju-yong mirkim@incheonilbo.com

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Source: Incheon Ilbo (https://www.incheonilbo.com)