Korea Times
December 31, 2003
Copyright© Hankooki.com
By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter

Despite his body being devastated by an incurable disease, Park Seung-il, a former professional basketball player, is not likely to give up the fight nor the battle against social indifference toward patients like him.

Park, who has suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease for more than a year, recently published a book, titled "A Giant Who Delivers Hope,’’ to enhance social awareness on the ravages of the disease.

"I will not give up even when society abandons me,’’ Park, 33, wrote in the book that was released Dec. 2. " hope this book will serve as a starting point for people to pay attention to the disease.’’

In May 2002, Park, a former player of the Mobis Automons, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease that is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, named after the baseball star who was the disease’s most famous victim.

ALS is a progressive disease, destroying motor neurons connecting the brain to the muscles. Patients in the later stages become totally paralyzed and up to 70 percent of patents die within five years of the first signs of the disease.

Park’s physical condition has also deteriorated. His speaking ability has been downscaled to a simple syllable. He cannot move on his own and is being cared for by a friend and his 63-year-old mother in his home in Yongin, Kyonggi Province.

"I begin a day lying in my bed and finish it with no activity,’’ Park wrote with the help of his friend at his Internet cafe at http://cafe.daum.net/alswithpark on Dec. 28. "My body is changing and my life is deteriorating day by day. Time gruesomely tumbles me down.’’

Park, however, does not surrender his dream to build a clinic exclusively for ALS patients. When he was still able to walk early this year, he devoted himself to a fund-raising campaign by hosting various events like a one-day teashop.

Many supporters have joined forces, including Major Leaguer Park Chan-ho. As of December this year, Park Seung-il has raised 60 million won ($50,000) toward his dream. But it is still far from what is necessary.

"It’s still beyond my reach because the amount of money I need to build the clinic is over 5 billion won ($4.2 million),’’ Park wrote. "It seems like there are many stumbling blocks ahead.’’

South Korea has at least 1,500 ALS patients, according to Prof. Kang Seong-woong of the Rehabilitation Medicine Dept. for Yongdong Severance Hospital in Kangnam, southwestern Seoul. The number is calculated by using statistics compiled in the United States, where five out of 100,000 people suffer from Lou Gehrig’s disease.

"I will prepare an event this year in which healthy people can experience how difficult it is to live as an ALS patient,’’ Park wrote on the website on Dec. 28. "People can understand the seriousness and stifling nature of the disease only after experiencing it. Then, I hope, a door will be opened for me and other (ALS) patients to get out of this lonely and painful illness.’’

Holding on to his hope of building an ALS clinic, he wrote in his book that he shouts "I am living’’ every morning. He will definitely hope that the book will not be his final legacy.