<Anchor>



A 4-year-old child in South Sudan, Africa, whose life was in danger after swallowing a piece of iron, underwent surgery at a university hospital in Korea.

This is the good news that I recovered my health after enduring two major surgeries and discharged myself today (30 days).



This is Jo Yoon-ha.



<Reporter>



Gloria, a 4-year-old child from South Sudan, Africa.



Since July of last year, every time I breathe, I have suffered chest pain.



A piece of metal the size of a 100 won coin swallowed while playing alone was caught under the esophagus.



[Korean missionary: It is not easy for the child to breathe, and whenever he breathes, a grunt is made.] I



tried to get treatment in South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt, but it failed and the operation cost was a problem.



Yonsei Severance Hospital decided to perform free surgery after hearing the bad news, but due to COVID-19 in March, the Egyptian government closed all international flights and entry to Korea was delayed for a month and a half.



Gloria, who arrived in Korea only in May, was quarantined for two weeks, and in June and August, she underwent surgery to remove pieces of iron from her body.



A piece of metal with a diameter of 2.5 cm, which had been embedded in the body for more than half a year, penetrated the esophagus and moved to the bronchi.



It was a series of fallopian tubes, from the removal of the iron to the treatment to heal the damaged esophagus and bronchi.



[Park Seong-Yong/Severance Hospital Professor of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery: The metal had penetrated the esophagus and melted the back wall of the bronchi.

If there is a hole, stitch it again, and the stitched area is reinforced by pulling the muscles between the ribs and attaching them again...

.] After



two surgeries, Gloria was able to breathe normally and freely eat whatever he wanted to eat.



Gloria regains health, and after four months of hospitalization, she is discharged today, and tomorrow morning, she returns to her home country, South Sudan, on a flight to Ethiopia.



[Gandhi/Gloria Dad: I am so happy to return to South Sudan because Gloria is healthy.

Thank you to Severance Hospital, the Korean government, and the Korean people.]