Hiromichi Sato, who played the role of "Big Brother Hiromichi" on the NHK children's program "Okaasan to Issho," and his wife Kumiko appeared on Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's long-running talk show "Tetsuko no Heya" (TV Asahi), which aired on February 14th. Sato, who was hospitalized in June last year after suffering a spinal cord infarction that left him paralyzed from the waist down, spoke about what it was like at the time and how he feels now.
Regarding his current physical condition, Sato said, "I have no feeling around my waist, and I can't feel anything even when I'm being touched or in the shower. I'm insensitive to temperature and pain. Also, the nerves that control my balance have been cut, so I have to keep my balance when I walk, which is a bit tiring." He said that he has "somehow managed to get his right leg to move," but that he can't move his left leg very well.
When it was discovered that she had a spinal cord infarction, she researched the disease and learned that it cannot be cured. "When I heard that it couldn't be cured, I felt completely depressed and thought that there was no point in living. I couldn't even go to the toilet and was in diapers. When I wondered how long this lifestyle could continue...it was really tough," she recalled.
After announcing his illness on social media, he received messages of support from his fans, including some from people who had the same illness.
"I was told about success stories, like 'They're healthy enough now to travel abroad,' and I saw hope within myself. My family also told me, 'It's good to be alive,' and that made me feel really positive. Those words were powerful."
The program showed a video of Sato undergoing rehabilitation. He walked around the ward using a walker. "I never realized how small joys I had, like being able to eat normally and walk normally. I learned a lot from getting sick," he said.
Sato-san is determined to "make every effort to get closer to a full recovery." Regarding the future, she said, "I have a dream of going back to work like I did before, but first I want everyone to know about this disease, so I want to do some awareness-raising activities to spread that knowledge."
