I saw a child that looked like he was 3-4 years old
always going into elementary school
Among elementary students, a short child stands out
Production Crew/ What grade are you in?
I’m in first grade, and my name is Jung Daesung
8-year-old Daesung is in first grade
He looks especially small compared to his peers
Unlike his classmates, he reads standing up
Production Crew/ Isn’t it hard?
Not at all
But studying is hard
Lunch Time
He sits on a sitting cushion that’s big as his body
Unlike his friends who line up to receive food,
He remains seated
Daesung, let’s eat
The food receiving table is too high for him to reach, it’s hard for him to receive food himself
He receives help on things he’s incapable of because of his height
After eating,
He takes care of the food tray himself
I try to do things I can do by myself
After school, Daesung goes back to his house
Production Crew/ Are you guys Daesung’s parents?
Yes, I’m Daesung’s dad, and mom’s from Uzbekistan
Production Crew/ Your son seems smaller than other kids
A lot smaller
Compared to his 8-year-old peers,
[Weight: 9.9kg (22lbs)] He doesn’t even weigh half of the average weight
He’s around 89-90cm tall (2’9)
But
When Daesung took off his clothes, his thin body appeared
His legs are so skinny, it can be held with one hand
He also has scoliosis & his back is twisted
It’s worrisome that his body is small, but his hands & feet…
Due to his bent finger joints,
he can’t even spread his hands properly
Moreover, the connection of his armpit is shorter than other people
Production Crew/ You can’t fully raise your arms?
No
Even though he had surgery so he can move his arms freely,
Nothing really had changed
He can manage peeing by himself,
but struggles with the other thing (pooping)
Daesung’s birth weight was 2.8kg (6lbs)
They just thought his growth was slow
But he has barely grown ever since he was 4 years old
He can’t move his arms freely & needs his mother’s help
When Daesung hits puberty,
He’s gonna want to shower & shampoo his hair by himself
I’m worried because he can’t do it by himself
Mom, I can do this myself
Daesung tries to do everything by himself
You gotta keep trying
Okay
Don’t think it’s tough, keep trying on your own
That’s how you can do everything
Daesung scratches his hair by leaning his hands on the dresser
This is nice
Production Crew/ Daesung, you seem really valiant
You don’t cry because things are tough
Suddenly
Another child?
It’s Daesung’s 3-year younger brother who goes to kindergarten
Daewoo is a bit shorter than his peers
But Daesung’s shorter than his younger brother
Daesung plays with toys
His younger brother tries to take the toy
Hey, give it
Even though Daesung wants the toy back, he can’t win against his 5-year-old brother
I’m okay
I should give in, because I’m the older brother
He gave the toy to his younger brother
And draws, which he enjoys doing
I drew them, didn’t I draw well?
This is me
I drew myself like this because I wanted to grow as big as a tree
Although he didn’t show it,
The scar must’ve remained in his heart
Other friends went faster
It annoyed me because I couldn’t go fast
Drawings depict how he truly feels inside
My friends helped me
So I’m gonna give them presents by becoming Santa Clause
Even in drawings, he’s short & has tiny hands
Sometimes he asks me, ‘Mom, why am I so sick?’
‘Why does my hand look different from my brother’s?’…
I think Daesung’s struggling because of me
Mom feels her son’s sickness is all her fault
She followed her husband and settled down in a foreign country
Her first child Daesung was her hope and dream
“Mom, mom, mom”
Her son was more special than anyone, she wanted to raise him healthy
Weekend Afternoon
Daesung goes somewhere with his dad
Dad, leggo!
Dad makes a living by picking up junk and waste paper
Dad, don’t you need this too?
Oh my, thank you
Daesung, I told you not to do this
Just having you beside me gives me strength
Dad, this doesn’t work
Daesung may have a small body, but he’s mature
Sometimes we’re surprised too
Daesung, aren’t you uncomfortable because your body is small?
Dad, it can’t be helped
Don’t be sad, and don’t worry
Daesung cheers dad instead
We took him to various hospitals and got him checked
But doctors couldn’t diagnose him properly
Is there any way we can help, so Daesung can keep smiling?
Daesung revisited the hospital in 4 years with the production crew
Will there be hope for Daesung?
Proceeded various medical examinations
Professor of Pediatrics/ Although we’ll need to do a detailed genetic test to know for sure,
Professor of Pediatrics/ there’s a 70% chance that he has Seckel syndrome
Professor of Pediatrics/ It’s a rare disorder
[Seckel Syndrome] A rare genetic disorder characterized by abnormality of skeleton system, deformity of face, and dwarfism
Professor of Pediatrics/ A gene defect caused a problem and seriously inhibited his growth
Production Crew/ What are the possibilities of his growth?
Professor of Pediatrics/ He can grow up to 1m (3’3)
Dad’s hopes were shattered
If what he’s saying is true,
What is he supposed to do from now on?
When Daesung tries to live by himself,
He’s going to be very disappointed & depressed
Dad’s heartbroken after knowing the reality Daesung has to face
Daesung still remains valiant, as if he’s okay
I drew this
My happy family :D I love you
I drew this so my family can live well
Mom, dad, I love you!
Thank you for being born as our son
We hope only good things happen to you, tiny angel Daesung!