Saved in Korea

[Anchor Lead]

Picture this: you’re traveling in a foreign country when you suddenly suffer a stroke. That’s exactly what happened to one French tourist in Korea, who thankfully was saved by the hands of a skilled Korean medical team. Here’s her story.

[Pkg]

A foreign tourist was rushed to the emergency room of a university hospital on August 11th. A French woman in her 50s named Catherine, she had lost consciousness after a blood vessel on one side of her brain suddenly became blocked while she was traveling in Korea.

[Soundbite] Dr. Lee Ki-jeong(Neurology Dept., Seoul St. Mary's Hospital) : "The paralysis was so severe that she couldn't move her left arm or leg at all."

With her speech center paralyzed, she was not even capable of talking. The doctors injected a blood thinner within 30 minutes and performed a procedure to remove the clot and open up the blood vessel in an hour. These prompt medical measures helped Catherine recover miraculously without any damage to her brain cells.

[Soundbite] Catherine(French Tourist) : "Despite the language barrier, we were able to communicate. Thanks to them, I was able to receive treatment."

Catherine's love for Korea is exceptional. She enjoys watching Korean dramas and her mobile phone is filled with photos of Korean celebrities. She has a Korean flag on the wall in her home in France, and a tattoo of the flag with the phrase "I love you" in Korean on her arm.

[Soundbite] Catherine(French Tourist) : "Hello. I want to visit Korea again, even if it's a few years later."

With her love for Korea stronger than ever, Catherine returned to France early yesterday morning.