Sangwon Suh, attentive father, beloved husband, brilliant teacher, wise colleague, and loyal friend, suffered a heart attack and head injury in July, which caused him to fall into a coma. He has not yet regained consciousness. Sangwon has been teaching in the Humanities department at HKIS for 17 years. During that time he has shaped and nurtured so many students, inspiring them with his encyclopedic historical knowledge, his dry wit, and his homemade cookies. Sangwon’s children, DongGun (age 9, grade 3) and Arin (age 7, grade 2), attend the primary school at HKIS, where Sangwon himself was a student in the 1980s. Since losing consciousness, Sangwon’s devoted wife Ashley has been by his side every day—even during a T9; her love and strength have inspired his colleagues, and she has welcomed us to his bedside as he makes incremental progress.
While we continue to pray for Sangwon’s immediate recovery, we have created this account to address the unfortunate and pragmatic concerns that come with his uncertain prognosis: mounting hospital bills, medical supplies not provided by the hospital, the cost of physical therapy, and most pressing on Ashley’s mind, the educational costs for their children, DongGun and Arin. Sangwon will draw his salary until February of 2024 and the school (per contract) has covered tuition for the remainder of the school year. After this school year, that benefit will end. Sangwon, who grew up in Hong Kong, attended HKIS, and has worked for HKIS for nearly two decades, always wanted his children to graduate from HKIS.
The school community, including current students, teachers, staff, and so many alumni, have shown their support through floods of beautifully-written cards, meaningful visits to Sangwon’s hospital bedside, meals, etc. Now, we are asking the wonderful extended HKIS community to give financial assistance to Sangwon’s family, to help them cover the costs mentioned above as well as innumerable other expenses that come with times of tragic uncertainty.
Please give whatever you are able to give—every bit helps—and share this link with friends, family, alumni, fellow HKIS Dragons, etc., people who have experienced the essential goodness of Sangwon and want to help take care of his family during this difficult time.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for your generosity.
