Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Plastic surgeon honored for serving children
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Baek Rong-min, right, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, poses with Luca Dotti, co-chairman of the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund, after receving a plaque of the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Nov. 27. / Yonhap
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Professor Baek wins Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Baek Rong-min, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, has won this year’s Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award for his 25 years of volunteer medical services to children at home and abroad.
He received a plaque from Luca Dotti, co-chairman of the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund, at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Nov. 27.
The 56-year-old surgeon is the first Korean to win the award.
“It is glorious but I only did what I had to do,” Baek told The Korea Times.
In 1989, Baek organized a small charity group and started the service with his elder brother Se-min, a pioneer figure in craniofacial surgery, to help children.
“I and my brother visited public health centers all over the country every weekend to perform operations on children with facial deformities,” he said.
The Baek brothers finally incorporated their volunteer activities by launching a surgical charity organization, Smile for Children, in 1995 and have expanded their goodwill abroad.
After the elder brother retired in 1996, Baek started to serve as the director of the organization.
The organization has performed over 3,700 operations on children with craniofacial anomalies for the last 20 years in countries including Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Mongolia and Uzbekistan.
Over 100 peer surgeons and a dozen corporations are now supporting the organization.
He visited Myanmar, Vietnam and Indonesia this year, performing and overseeing some 200 operations for children in need.
“I feel most rewarded when I see children take their smile back after the operation,” Baek said.
Baek told a story of one child who had an operation and later become a doctor at a university hospital to help others just as he does.
The ambitious surgeon also tried to visit North Korea. He met several North Korean officials since 2000 expressing his desire to help North Korean children with facial deformities.
But the ambition fell through at the last minute because of the stalled inter-Korea relations after the 2002 West Sea battle and the 2010 sinking of the frigate Cheonan.
“It may not be easy but I believe I can meet North Korean children one day,” said Baek.
“Children should not be scarred by their looks. I would like to return the smiles back to more children in need,” Baek said.