Actress Park Tam-hee confessed that she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of forty, evoking a profound sense of sadness.
On the 3rd, the actress appeared on the YouTube channel "Coming Back to Life" to share her story.
That day, Park Tam-hee revealed that she underwent a health check-up eight years ago in 2017 at the suggestion of a parent who is a professor in the family medicine department at Severance Hospital during a parent meeting.
He recalled the moment, saying, "I was with my child at a kids' cafe when I received a call saying I have cancer. It felt like my heart dropped and then came back up. 'Me, having cancer?' From that moment on, I became a cancer patient. My child was sleeping and was so young. All I could think was, 'What should I do?' I became a cancer patient in May 2017. I was forty years old."
He continued, "There are no cancer patients in my family. I couldn't believe it because there's no family history. I know that I will die someday, but when it becomes a reality, it's different. It was a strange feeling that can't be expressed in words. At that time, I was 40 years old."
Park Tam-hee stated that she didn't disclose her cancer diagnosis to her family except for her older sister, saying, "Having experienced it, it was really painful. It felt like my heart was dying. Why should I be the only one to suffer? If I let them know, they would keep worrying about me. So, I didn't want to make them suffer."
He said, "I told my sister to absolutely not tell our parents," and added that he even kept it a secret from her husband, who travels frequently.
However, before the surgery, the older sister informed the family about Park Tam-hee's condition. He explained, "They thought it was early stage, but it was metastatic. It became a major surgery as they had to remove the metastasized parts. So, they said I would have to undergo chemotherapy," adding, "Chemotherapy causes hair loss, so it takes a long time to recover. I'm someone who enjoys working, but I couldn't be active for several years."
In particular, aside from family, those who knew about Park Tam-hee's cancer diagnosis were limited to fellow actress Yoo Sun, the agency's representative, the Deputy Minister of management, and the stylist. It was noted that she had kept her battle against cancer completely hidden.
Park Tam-hee stated that she cried when they inserted a chemo port under her rib, saying, "That's when I truly felt like a cancer patient. For the first time, I asked if I could cry just once, and I broke down in tears. I showed my tears then."
He added, "Currently, I have follow-up tests every six months, and after five years, I will get tested once a year. I cherish each day."
Netizens who saw Park Tam-hee's confession reacted with comments such as, "Park Tam-hee will soon be receiving a trophy, and on that day, she will express her glory to Hanam," "I cried throughout the viewing," "A mother worries about her child even in the moment of dying," and "I am grateful that she persevered through those tough times."
Meanwhile, Park Tam-hee has been married to businessman Lee Sung-wook since 2008 and they have one son and one daughter.
[Photo] OSEN DB, YouTube capture
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