Teen hopes to overcome leukemia to become pilot
Shim Gyu-hui, left, a 15-year-old teen suffering from leukemia, smiles on board an F-15K during his visit to the 11th Fighter Wing in Daegu, Monday. / Courtesy of Air Force
By Jun Ji-hye
Shim Gyu-hui, 15, who suffers from leukemia, is a fighter buff who knows the different kinds and data of combat planes operated by the Air Force.
His dream is to become a fighter pilot after getting over his disease.
The Air Force has prepared a special gift him to encourage him to battle the disease and continue to nurture his desire to become a great pilot.
On Monday, the 11th Fighter Wing in Daegu invited Shim to give him a chance to experience being an F-15K pilot.
Upon his arrival, Shim was given a pilot’s jumpsuit with his name tag attached and a red muffler, a symbol of South Korean Air Force pilots.
Then, he boarded the F-15K, feeling like his dream had come true.
Shim could not take an actual flight due to his illness. Instead, he experienced a flight simulator, designed to simulate the conditions of an actual flight, and held the control stick by himself from takeoff to landing.
“I held talks with a lot of real pilots and boarded the F-15K myself,” Shim said. “I thought I really want to be cured at the earliest possible date and fly around the skies.”
The Air Force said it invited Shim upon the request from the “Make A Wish” foundation that helps children with life-threatening illnesses through its wish-granting work.
Shim was originally scheduled to experience being a pilot at the end of last year, but the event was postponed after his health worsened while he was receiving anti-cancer treatments.
At the time, pilots and engineers of the 11th Fighter Wing delivered a video clip cheering him up.
“We hope Shim took courage from his experience and will overcome the disease,” Lt. Col. So Yoon-young said. “We will wait for him to become a pilot and meet us again.”