The 17th Dandelion Camp: There and Back

683 'Suddenly my heart is flying away in the breeze like a dandelion seed~♬' Since I started as an intern, I've taken part in the Dandelion camp three years in a row. By now, this is something I look forward to a great deal. Du Ri Park came with her hands full, carrying luggage, just as she always does. I am always so thankful to nurse Du Ri Park for taking it all on herself to run our Dandelion family event. I always promise her that I will help her if I have a little more time next year, and she thanks me for the thought. This year, as usual, I hastily finished my ward duties and just barely caught the rushing bus. As a member of Konkuk University's Cosmetic Surgery Department , you can attend the two-day Dandelion camp. It's a time when Dandelion Association family members and the hospital staff can gather together. Since 1995, Professor Gi Il Uhm has been key in organizing the Dandelion Camp and the end-of-year meeting for children with congenital cleft lip and palate along with their families. We arrived at the campground in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do, a place with picturesque views and clean water. Once we unpacked our bags, we gathered in the lecture hall to listen to Professor Gi Il Uhm's lecture to kick off the camp. Families who were attending for the first time were also introduced. It was so cute to see the children, who had been sick whining away in their hospital gowns with the hemovacs next to them, laughing so heartily, as though they had never been sick. After we had all been introduced to each other, we all went outside and shot air rockets up into the sky. The first time I saw air rockets I was doubtful that the children would like such silly toys. However, after a while, it was obvious that the adults were even more zealous than the children in assembling the rockets and competing to see who could shoot theirs the highest. Seeing this, I couldn't help thinking , " They, too, were once little children that liked to assemble toys and play. " After we filled our hungry stomachs with barbecued meat, the fun activities started. When I think about it now, perhaps because it was an event with something of a tradition, the camp program went smoothly and was well …