Humans Of Liberty: Dorm Community Rallies Around International Student During Life-Threatening Health Crisis

Medical emergencies have a way of paralyzing people in fear and overwhelming someone even in the most familiar of environments. 

For many, having your body betray you at the age of 20 is almost unimaginable. That was Enoch Kang’s reality a little after midnight in early October 2020, a mere two months after moving to the United States. 

Kang recalled the night he was rushed to the emergency room at Lynchburg General Hospital almost as a blur. The resident assistants and resident shepherds on his hall finalized the decision to take him to the hospital because nobody, not even Kang himself,  knew how intense his condition was. Unbeknownst to those around him, Kang’s kidneys were  failing and, as a result, he lost the ability to think clearly. 

“I felt really sick, but I couldn’t really think at all,” Kang said. 

Bryce Kent, a community group leader on Kang’s hall, had heard that Kang hadn’t been feeling the best for a couple of days, but nobody knew how bad it had gotten. Kent explained that upon checking in on Kang and his roommate Sam Henderson that night, it became very real how soon they needed to act.

“I took my first look at him, and he was visibly green. There was definitely something wrong, and it really scared me,” Kent said. 

Kent, Jen Kooistra, Henderson and his now fiancé Faith Conrad took shifts through the night sending one person inside at a time to be with Kang as per Lynchburg General’s COVID-19 guidelines. Henderson explained the biggest challenge that night was keeping a steady flow of communication between the four of them to ensure there was someone on watch at all times.

Throughout the night, residents on their hall were constantly reaching out to the four people at the hospital, asking how Kang was, sending prayers and a wave of support throughout the night and coming days.  

“I think this is what makes Liberty so special, especially living on campus at Liberty. This group of people that become more of a family than just dorm mates. Through the entire night, it didn’t matter what time of night – 2, 3, 4 a.m. We are getting texts and prayers,” Kent said. “It was crazy just the amount of support we got.”

Although the community effort to emotionally and physically support Kang during such a terrifying time was truly inspiring, the grueling process also brought uncertainty. Henderson recalled the difficulty of learning so much, whether it was learning about  insurance policies at 23 or balancing fear with rational thinking or maintaining a serious relationship.  

“It was hard. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It was really hard, but I think staying within Scripture (and) having a community around you that is biblically sound really pushed us to keep going. Not that we were perfect at it by any means, but it really helped at the time,” Henderson said.

Though Kang was originally born in the United States, he spent the first nine years of his life in Canada before he moved to South Korea. Having American citizenship and having attended an international high school in Korea, Kang knew that going to college in the United States was the next step for him.

Kang went home with Henderson for the semester break and experienced his first American winter with Conrad and Henderson in their hometown. 

Kang remains incredibly grateful to Henderson and Conrad as well as their families for the way they all went above and beyond to care for him even once he recovered.

“I think it was really incredible that I got to meet Sam. I don’t think I could meet any other roommate that would really care about me and search for an insurance company for me and take me to his home for winter break when I had no place to stay,” Kang said, “He really helped me get used to this place.”

The people on his hall stepped up at a time when Kang needed them. The men on his hall, who had only known him for around two months at the time, were dedicated to bringing him food, picking up course work for him, writing cards and constantly checking in at the hospital and long after he returned to his dorm. 

The reality of how serious his situation was is not lost on Kang, and he feels a deep sense of gratitude toward the people around him that took his recovery on as their own. 

“Because you guys were there, I am here now,” Kang said.

Although Kang knew about God before this experience, he expressed to Kent and his RSs during a hall worship night that he wanted to know the Lord even more. Both Kang and Kent recognize this as a pivotal moment in Kang’s life. When he looks back, Kang sees God working in his situation through the amazing people that surrounded him.

“In the end, it was God that healed him. It wasn’t anything I did. It was all God,” Henderson said. “Having this community around him was all God. Learning that was so important because you get so stressed with a lot the little things that could happen and did happen, but in the end it is all God. These are his plans, and I am just the side character while he is the main character.” 

Vires  is a feature reporter. Follow her on Twitter