I am Isabelle Gooris.  I am 40 years old and born in Busan, South Korea.  I was adopted to a family in Belgium when I was one and half years old.  I am a physical therapist and work with children with cerebral palsy as well as premature babies. 

   I have been studying Korean two and half years and received a scholarship from the Korea Foundation to study Korean for a year at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea.  I received this scholarship after conducting a project involving children with cerebral palsy from impoverished areas. During my studies I greatly missed working as a physical therapist, but what I missed the most was the day

to day interactions with all my patients. Before I was adopted to Belgium, I stayed in an orphanage.  Fortunately I only had to stay at the orphanage for 6 months before being given the opportunity to find a forever family.  I feel grateful that I was adopted and able to experience life outside of an orphanage.  I believe that my life is better because I was adopted.

  Many are not given the chance to become adopted and only experience life in the orphanage.  I imagine, if given the choice, no one would choose a life in an orphanage over a life as an adoptee with a family. So it’s difficult for me to think that so many residents at Holt Ilsan only know the walls of this facility and live here for many years. It was evident to me that I come to work at Holt Ilsan as a volunteer.  I place the welfare of all people at a high importance with a passion to take care of others. 

The welfare of the residents is of the utmost priority while here at Holt Ilsan.  I have the impression that I can give them a lot, but the little that I do give them I do with all my heart.  In my eyes I received the most beautiful of presents from the residents: their SMILES.