Gong Hwa-ja (52) dreamed of another goal to be a youth counselor, even before the happiness of passing the university qualification exam. (Image : Yonhap)
Cheongju, Aug. 26 (Korea Bizwire) - “Even if I’m put on a ventilator for 24 hours, I’m going to achieve my dream of being a youth counselor.”
Gong Hwa-ja (52) dreamed of another goal even before the happiness of passing the university qualification exam.
Gong has had a serious lung condition since her childhood, and has only 15 percent of her pulmonary function. She cannot breathe without her ventilator, even when she sleeps.
She was born and raised in a well-to-do family, but had to stop school after graduating junior high for health issues. It was hard for her to stay in school when she was sent home every time she started coughing blood. It was very hard for a teenage girl to give up going to school, when she had a strong desire to learn.
Even so, she managed to become a nurse’s aide, but her health condition kept getting worse, forcing her to quit her job. She also had to leave her hometown of Chungju and move to Wonju to be closer to a larger hospital.
But after spending her youth struggling with the illness, and after her two children grew up to be adults, her thirst for knowledge was renewed.
It was difficult for her to go to an academy to study, due to her poor health. Fortunately, she heard that her friend was also preparing to take the university qualification exam. She got textbooks from her friend and started studying by herself.
Three months after getting the textbooks and a month after fully preparing for the exams, she applied for the test, just for the experience.
She took her reserve ventilator and charger. Replacing ventilators as she took the exam, she finished taking tests in seven subjects over four hours.
Gong was not expecting to pass, but she did. “I thought I’d fail because I couldn’t answer so many math problems. But it seems like I avoided failing. I think reading a lot of books helped me a lot.”
As soon as she was informed that she had passed, she started studying for the university entrance exam so that she can become a youth counselor.
Though she is ill, Gong believes that her positive attitude can help troubled youths. “The adolescent period is a really important period. I think I can help hurt teenagers seek hope, for I also had a very hard time in life. Besides, counseling can be done by phone you know!”
By Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
