Amid “Doctor Cha” controversy, netizens re-examine the confessions of celebrities with Crohn’s disease
While “Doctor Cha” is criticized for its negative portrayals of Crohn’s disease patients, stories of celebs with that disease are brought up.
Appearing on SBS’s entertainment show “Healing Camp” in 2012, Yoon Jong Shin confessed that he suffered from Crohn’s disease. He shared, “This disease does not affect your life much but you have to be careful of it. There’s no cure, no medicine for it, and the cause is also unknown”, adding “I found out about it in 2006. I knew that I shouldn’t drink or smoke, but since I didn’t know about the disease, I continued to do so. Eventually, my intestines became so narrow that I had to have 60cm removed”. Expressing his feelings at that time, the musician said, “When I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, I was very shocked and I felt like my world was falling apart. I never thought that I would have a rare disease.”
Singer Youngki also revealed that he has Crohn’s disease. On a broadcast of TV Chosun’s variety show “Miss Trot” in 2020, he shed tears while saying, “I was recently diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and underwent a major surgery. After the surgery, I returned to work at an event but I couldn’t perform like I used to. My stamina didn’t come back”, adding “I was worried that I would not be able to fill my two-minute performing time.”
Episode 7 of “Doctor Cha”, which aired on May 6th, dealt with the story that occurred when a Crohn’s disease patient underwent a failed anus restoration surgery.
The controversy arose due to the scene where the patient’s mother-in-law made harsh remarks, such as, “How can you hide such an unacceptable disease and get married?”, “I heard this disease is hereditary”, etc. Viewers raised controversy over this scene as it can encourage people to have wrong perceptions of Crohn’s disease.
In particular, many viewers who have family members with Crohn’s disease even filed complaints on the drama’s viewer bulletin board demanding the production team issue an official apology.
Meanwhile, Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory disease that can occur in any part of the digestive system, from the mouth to the anus. It is mainly known to occur in the area where the large intestine and small intestine are connected. It is classified as a rare disease because there is no confirmed information about the exact cause and treatment methods.
Early symptoms of Crohn’s disease include abdominal pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite, rectal bleeding, and bloody stools. It is often mistaken for anal pain and misdiagnosed as hemorrhoids, causing many people to miss the timing of treatments.
Source: Wikitree
