Many good deeds of regarding the pain of others as one’s own and helping one another are told in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Here goes a story of those who helped Ri Song Hak, a student of Hamhung University of Chemical Engineering, walk on his feet.
In early March 2018, Ri was diagnosed with acute myelitis at the Hamhung Railway Hospital.
He grew hopeless as the paralysis was getting worse and he had no sense of feeling in his legs even when someone pinched them to bleed. As a student in his 20s, only several days ago he had gone to the school with the hope for the future and with ambition.
His parents could not hold tears as they saw their son asking the doctors of the hospital to help him walk again.
At that time the medical workers of the hospital held a consultation.
As a matter of fact, the status of the patient was very urgent. The paralysis and complication of various diseases were critical. And there was no guarantee that he would be able to walk again even if he was cured of the disease. There was also an opinion that he should be sent to a bigger hospital.
At this moment, the head of the neurology department volunteered to treat the patient. All other medical workers responded to his burning passion.
From that day on many doctors including the department head and nurses launched intensive treatment; various methods like medication therapy, hand therapy, and psychological treatment were applied in succession; they did their best even sacrificing their holidays and days off.
There were other people who were concerned about the treatment of the patient. Officials, teaching staff and students of his university and his neighbours came to the hospital with various restoratives and nutritious foods; among them were some who did not even know the patient.
The university teachers suggested giving the patient on-the-spot lectures to relieve him from the worry of being absent from lectures and encourage him to be confident that he could stand on his own feet. This opinion was supported by the hospital staff.
In this country where free medical care and education is practised, all the expensive medicines, medical treatment and even the on-the-spot lectures were free. But the important thing was the deep affection and good-heartedness of many people who devoted themselves to the treatment and recovery of the patient.
At last after 200 days of treatment, the patient could return to his dear school.
Some time later Ri Song Hak got married to a girl, a graduate of Hamhung College of Technology.
Actually the girl had known him only by name before he was diagnosed with acute myelitis. But when Ri was suffering from a misfortune, she willingly volunteered to be his life companion. This determination was made not because there was guarantee that the patient could be cured, but by the good heart of Hyon Kwang Suk who thought there should be no one who suffers from misfortune in her socialist country where people help each other and live harmoniously.
Her mother supported her daughter’s determination, and joined her daughter to help him. In the course of this, she promised to live with him.
During the wedding ceremony, Ri Song Hak made up his mind to devote his everything to the good of all the grateful people, who did their best to help him, and of his motherland.
