Kim Joo-ah's photo taken at Severance Hospital before her heart transplant surgery in December 2023 (Courtesy of Severance Hospital)
Kim Joo-ah's photo taken at Severance Hospital before her heart transplant surgery in December 2023 (Courtesy of Severance Hospital)

Kim Joo-ah, 3, who underwent successful heart transplant surgery, was safely discharged from Severance Hospital on Feb. 8, according to the hospital.

The Lunar New Year was a special holiday for Joo-ah's family, with the entire family gathering at her home to eat tteokguk, traditional sliced rice cake soup, following a year and a half (559 days) stay at the hospital in central Seoul. 

Joo-ah was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCMP), an enlarged and dysfunctional heart condition, when she was seven months old in 2022. She received a heart transplant in December 2023, a year and a half after being placed on a ventricular assist device (VAD) many times her size.

From left, Professor Shin  Yu-rim, Joo-ah's mother, Joo-ah, and Professor Jung Jo-won pose for a photo. (Courtesy of Severance Hospital) 
From left, Professor Shin  Yu-rim, Joo-ah's mother, Joo-ah, and Professor Jung Jo-won pose for a photo. (Courtesy of Severance Hospital) 

She holds the record as the Korean child who carried a VAD for the longest period in the nation before receiving a heart transplant.

In early August 2023, a special performance team featuring "Baby Shark," a beloved song among toddlers, visited Severance Hospital to entertain Joo-ah and other pediatric patients.

Joo-ah and medical staff at Severance Hospital (Courtesy of Severance Hospital) 
Joo-ah and medical staff at Severance Hospital (Courtesy of Severance Hospital) 

 

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