“Jewel in the Palace” star, Lee Young-Ae has proven that she has a heart of gold when she rescued a Taiwanese mother who gave birth prematurely following an accident while on tour in Korea.

The top television actress, who revolutionized the culture of soap operas in the Asian region, generously picked up the tab of the medical bills from the International St. Mary's Hospital in Incheon, Korea in the staggering amount of $134,000 USD (NT$4 million/ W80 million).

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Reports have it that the Taiwanese mother was touring in Seoul in February this year when she slipped on the bathroom floor of her hotel room at the Korean capital. She was then only seven months pregnant. This resulted in premature birth of her daughter, Meng Ke-Li.

But the premature birth led to more health complications of the newborn who weighed a mere 1 kg. (2.2 lbs). She was suffering from congenital biliary atresia and liver problems and Meng needed surgery. The ChosunIlbo noted that the baby was kept in an incubator for four months, adding that she needed liver and gall bladder treatment.

As a foreign tourist in Korea, the Taiwanese mother was not covered in the state medical program. WantChinaTimes reported that the mother appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to help her pay the medical bills, promising to pay later.

Not only did the Korean couple initiated fund-raising campaign for the Taiwanese mom and her baby but they paved way for the resolution of their case.

The troubled mother may have failed to have her voice heard as her pleas fell on deaf ears, but it was widely received by various media publications - - when a couple brought their case to a charity group, the Tzu Chi Foundation.

Hearing the plight of the Taiwanese mom and her newborn baby, Lee Young-Ae decided to help the duo, ensuring first that they found the best hospital for the surgery. Koogle.tv said in its report that the baby was treated and underwent operations at the Sooncheonhyang Medical Center and the Seoul National University Hospital.

The operations saved the baby and she was allowed to be taken home by her mom after Lee Young-Ae generously paid the hospital bills.

The actress however, wanted to keep a low profile on her generosity that she apparently turned down requests for interview. The popular star failed however, to ignore the plea of the Taiwanese mother to thank her in person.

The “Jewel in the Palace” star came to visit the hospital on June 29.

"Lee was very concerned about the infant's conditions and visited the hospital to the see the child without telling the couple beforehand," a source close to the actress was quoted as saying by AsiaOne.  "It seems that she was afraid of putting pressure (on the couple)."

Her lawyer, added, ChosunIlbo also said in a statement that the star’s “gesture was reported in the Taiwanese media and had a positive impact in quelling anti-Korean sentiment there.”

The actress, reportedly gave gifts to the Taiwanese mother, who happens to be a fan of the popular TV series.

"I thought we can see stars like Lee Young-ae only on TV, but she ended up saving my baby's life. It's like a miracle!" exclaimed the Taiwanese mother.

TagsJewel in the Palace, Lee Young-Ae