“Our best healing from the Egypt nightmare is the Korean churches’ support”
2014-02-26 18:02
22 Jincheon Jungang Church members, injured in a terrorist bombing in Egypt by Islamic extremists during a Holy Land pilgrimage, are receiving treatment at Anyang Sam Hospital. Most of them are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and will require long-term psychotherapy.
All the victims are experiencing severe insomnia. In the case of Ms. Lee X (60), seven fragments of broken material were stuck in her body, one of her ribs was broken, and both her eardrums were ruptured. She said, “Every night the incident repeats, and startles me awake.”
Moon X (52) reported suffering more psychologically during the 12 hours after the bombing than at the moment of the bombing itself. “Somehow I escaped from the bus in the midst of the chaos of gunshots and fire, but afterwards I wasn’t able to communicate or receive appropriate treatment. We headed somewhere in a car, riding for three hours, but were nervous and afraid we might be kidnapped by terrorists,” Moon confessed. “Last night again, I woke up more than 10 times. In my dreams I’m either on a bus going somewhere in the wilderness or feeling uneasy.”
Noh X (56) explained, “My wife was severely bleeding from her legs and face (she had 18 fragments imbedded in her body), and all they could do was wipe the wounded areas with cotton balls. We should’ve hurried to a large hospital, but we couldn’t communicate. I was ashamed that I couldn’t take care of my bleeding wife. It was really a nightmare.”
Cha X (57) said in retrospect, “As I waited in the hospital, covered with blood, Egyptians wearing leather jackets and carrying guns were passing by. My body trembled because I didn’t know whether they were on our side or not.”
Anyang Sam Hospital has the experience of caring for the returned victims of the kidnapping in Afghanistan back in 2007, so it is treating these bombing victims for PTSD in addition to taking care of their physical injuries. The Jincheon Jungang church members arrived at the hospital on February 20. There they attend worship services and receive various kinds of treatment using pictures, music, psychotherapy, flowers, etc.
Anyang Sam Hospital’s director Park Sang-eun said, “Most of these patients are asking, ‘Why me?’ and are struggling with anxiety, lethargy, depression and insomnia. With our experience after the Afghanistan kidnapping, we focus on psychological, emotional and spiritual treatment.”
Up to now, two persons, both injured only lightly, have left the hospital. Six persons, including Rev. Kim Dong-hwan, who were severely injured are getting intensive treatment at Seoul National University Hospital and Asan Medical Center. There are increasing calls in church circles for the entire Korean church to pay attention to this matter. Representative President Kim Gyeong-weon of the Korean National Association of Christian Pastors (KACP) advised, “It is time for the Korean churches to pray collectively, so that the members of Jincheon Jungang Church, who were hit with misfortune during their pilgrimage to the Holy Land, may recover as soon as possible.”
Reporter Paek Sang-hyun (100sh@kmib.co.kr), with Yeara Ahn-Park (yap@kmib.co.kr)
Click here for the original article in Korean
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