Eight blood cancer survivors meet, and one line turns nerves into hope

Youths who have endured pain gathered to acknowledge each other's wounds and face new connections. The first meeting, where the eight participants gathered in one place, was filled with tension rather than excitement. Carrying their individual stories, the participants began to converse cautiously while sharing their first impressions of one another.

Participant Jeong Yea-ji expressed her nervousness, saying, "I am trembling, wondering if I can truly meet someone who is a perfect match for me." Jay Robin conveyed a positive impression toward a participant met during the first impression, noting, "It reminds me of a clear Pocari Sweat image." Kim Reugi expressed interest while looking at a participant who closely resembled his physical ideal. Kim Jong-Eun refreshed the atmosphere with bright energy.

Sharing the battle with blood cancer and records of life

The reason they gathered is more than just a simple meeting. The participants confessed the time they lived while experiencing blood cancer. One participant, who suffered from severe myelodysplastic syndrome, recalled the moment they had to shave their head for chemotherapy. They shared the shock of realizing they had become a patient, saying, "When I was washing my hair, I saw a handful of hair caught in my hands."

A participant who was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma confessed that they felt much more relieved after treatment. There was also a case where someone had to give up preparing for the fire service exam due to acute myeloid leukemia. One participant suffered from dry eyes and the destruction of tear ducts because remission was not achieved. They shared the physical and psychological pain experienced during hospital treatment and the process of preparing for transplants.

Stories of continuing life through the sacrifice of family members also followed. An older sister who decided on a bone marrow transplant to save her younger sibling said, "It was a natural thing, so there was nothing to worry about." The stories of the participants who endured continued, saying, "It is all just a passing wind. My illness will pass soon too."