REUNITED 24 YEARS AFTER NANCY REAGAN HELPED SAVE HIS LIFE, A YOUNG MAN GETS TO SAY THANK YOU KOREANS FLEW VIA AIR FORCE ONE TO RECEIVE CRUCIAL HEART SURGERIES.Byline: RICK COCA Staff Writer SIMI VALLEY Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. - When 4-year-old Lee Kil Woo walked onto the White House lawn after arriving on Air Force One in November 1983, he had no idea first lady Nancy Reagan had arranged for him and Ahn Ji Sook, 7, to come to the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. from South Korea to undergo life-saving heart surgeries. In the years since, his understanding and appreciation over that act of kindness grew, and he wanted to say thank you. So two years ago, he started researching how to get hold of Reagan. After a conversation with a reporter led to him writing a letter to the former first lady, he got his wish Friday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Center for Public Affairs . "There was a tear in my eye," said Woo -- who was adopted with Sook by an Arizona family and given the name Brett Halvorson -- about the emotional meeting. "She's my hero. I realize now she did a great thing for me." Reagan greeted Halvorson in front of a large photo of her hugging him and Sook, now named Diana, as children, shaking his hand and remarking how tall he'd gotten since their last meeting about 20 years ago. "I don't believe it. I don't believe it," Reagan said when she spotted the 28-year-old Washington state insurance broker. Halvorson and his adopted sister, who are not blood relatives, came to the United States for their operations through the Gift of Life program, a nonprofit A corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without shareholders and without a profit motive. Nonprofits are also called not-for-profit corporations. Nonprofit corporations are created according to state law. effort begun by the Manhasset Rotary Club in Long Island, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , to provide life-saving heart surgeries to kids worldwide. At the time, Nancy Reagan was in South Korea on a diplomatic trip with the president. She was contacted by Harriet Hodges, who worked with the children's program and asked the first lady for help. The children's trip and subsequent surgeries made headlines throughout the United States. About two years ago, Halvorson decided he wanted to meet Reagan and thank her personally, but his early efforts to contact her were unsuccessful. More recently, after tracking down a retired New York Times editor who wrote a story about Halvorson's and his sister's experience with Reagan in the early 1980s, he was able to reach an assistant of Reagan's through the library, Halvorson said. About two weeks ago, he was asked to write Reagan a letter, which led to an invitation to meet at the library Friday. "I'm nervous. I'm excited," he said before the reunion. Priscilla Halvorson, who also has two biological children, attended Friday's meeting. Brett and Diana, whom she adopted about a year after their surgeries, share a special bond, but still had the typical sibling rivalries sibling rivalry Psychology The intense, emotional competition among siblings–brothers and/or sisters that pits one against the other to obtain parental affection, approval, attention, and love. See Cain complex. Cf Oy child, Sibling relational problem. growing up, she said. One of the Gift of Life founders, Robbie Donno, said kids who go through the program typically go on to succeed in life because they have a tangible reminder of what someone else did to keep them alive. "The rest of their lives, the scar scar, fibrous connective tissue that forms at the site of injury or disease in any tissue of the body. Scar tissue may replace injured skin and underlying muscle, damaged heart muscle, or diseased areas of internal organs such as the liver. on their chest is a reminder that someone saved their life," he said. The program began in 1975. By 1983, the group had sponsored nearly 100 children for the procedure, he said. That number skyrocketed after Reagan decided to get involved. Today, the Gift of Life and the scores of other participating Rotary clubs around the world have helped nearly 10,000 kids worldwide, Donno said. Given that the surgeries are risky, Reagan's desire to help was courageous, he said. "She's a brave lady because the whole world was watching," he said. "She was willing to take that risk because if something goes wrong, a good story ain't so good anymore." After the successful procedures for both children, Reagan visited them at Saint Francis Saint Francis, city, United States Saint Francis, city (1990 pop. 9,245), Milwaukee co., SE Wis., a residential suburb of Milwaukee on Lake Michigan; inc. 1951. There is meat processing and the manufacture of plastic and metal products. Hospital in Roslyn, New York Roslyn (/ROHZ-lin/) is a village in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the village population was 2,570. Roslyn was once called Hempstead Harbor, but its named changed to Roslyn on September 7, 1844 due to postal , and gave them both Cabbage Patch Kids Cabbage Patch Kids are a brand of doll created by Xavier Roberts in 1978. The original dolls were all cloth and were available at local craft shows, and later at Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia. , that Christmas season's most popular gift. While Halvorson doesn't remember much about the operation or his trip on Air Force One to the White House -- except the plentiful supply of jelly beans jelly beans traditional treat for children on Easter Sunday; symbolize eggs. [Pop. Culture: Misc.] See : Easter , Ronald Reagan's favorite -- he does know he wants to participate in the program and help other children the way others helped him. With Friday's long-awaited meeting with Reagan over, Halvorson said he's ready to move on to other chapters in his life. Although he loves Korean food, he has forgotten most of the language and has not been back to his native country since he was adopted. He wants to see his biological family, he said, adding, "That would be a great next chapter." rick.coca(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3329 CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Nancy Reagan greets Brett Halvorson on Friday, 24 years after bringing him and Ahn Ji Sook to New York for surgery. (2 -- color) Brett Halvorson Recipient of life-saving heart surgery 24 years ago (3) Brett Halvorson laughs as he answers reporters' questions before being reunited "Reunited" was a #1 hit in the United States in 1979 by the Washington, D.C.-based group Peaches & Herb. Preceded by "Heart of Glass" by Blondie Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 5 1979 Succeeded by "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer with Nancy Reagan on Friday. Michael Owen
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