Late Missionary's Student Becomes South Sudan's First Neurologist

Joseph Bool, a former student of the late Father Tadeusz (Tons) Lee, has achieved a significant milestone by becoming South Sudan's first neurologist. Bool, 36, recently completed his residency at Black Lion Hospital, an educational hospital of Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, earning his specialization in neurology.

Bool's journey was significantly influenced by Father Lee, an Irish missionary who dedicated his life to providing medical and educational services in Tonj, South Sudan. Bool was featured in the 2010 documentary "Tonj, Don't Cry" as a student inspired by Father Lee to pursue a career in medicine. A photograph of Father Lee remains in Bool's room, symbolizing his enduring inspiration.

His path to becoming a specialist was aided by international support, particularly from South Korea. Bool was selected as a "Kwon Sung-hyun scholarship student" by the Lee Tae-seok Foundation, enabling him to complete his studies and residency. The parents of the late Kwon Sung-hyun, who passed away from leukemia after being accepted into Seoul National University College of Medicine, donated six years of tuition fees to the foundation, stating they wished to continue their son's unfinished dream.

This achievement marks the first outcome of the foundation's "Lee Tae-seok 2.0 Project," an international development cooperation initiative. Since July of the previous year, the foundation has invited nine of Father Lee's students, including medical students from South Sudan, to South Korea for training at Wonkwang University College of Medicine, which provides support for their tuition and dormitory fees.

Father Lee, a graduate of Inje University College of Medicine in 1987, chose the path of a Catholic priest over a stable medical career. He engaged in medical services and missionary work in South Sudan, a nation devastated by prolonged civil war. He passed away from colon cancer at the age of 48 in 2010.

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I will return the love and help you have received from both of you to each patient.