Actress Cha Hwa-yeon Recounts Daughter's Rare Tumor Battle: 'This is Hell'

Actress Cha Hwa-yeon and her daughter, actress and writer Cha Jae-yi, have opened up about a harrowing period when Cha Jae-yi battled a rare tumor. Appearing on the tvN STORY program 'What Will You Leave Behind?' on August 24, the mother-daughter duo recounted the emotional ordeal of Cha Jae-yi's life-threatening surgery in 2018.

Cha Jae-yi revealed that during a health check-up, a tumor was found growing rapidly behind her peritoneum, pushing against her organs. Aware of the gravity of the situation, she initially withheld the news from her mother, preparing herself for the worst. It was only when a hospital capable of performing the surgery requested a guardian that she informed her mother, feeling a sense of relief but also deep sorrow at the thought of leaving her mother alone.

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I thought, 'This is hell,' and blamed myself, wondering if I had raised her poorly.

Cha Hwa-yeon described the moment she heard the news, collapsing in the hospital corridor. "I thought, 'This is hell,' and blamed myself, wondering if I had raised her poorly," she recalled, her eyes welling up with tears. She shared the immense pain of seeing her child suffer, stating, "A child being sick is the greatest suffering. I wish it were me instead."

After a grueling seven-hour surgery and a subsequent stay in the intensive care unit, Cha Jae-yi recovered her health. Her experience inspired her to write the essay 'Person of the Blue Back.' The family has now fully recovered, but the memory of the near-fatal illness remains a profound testament to their bond and resilience.

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A child being sick is the greatest suffering. I wish it were me instead.