After first sharing the news on Sept. 27 via social media, Cha posted a YouTube video the next day detailing his diagnosis and the early stages of chemotherapy. “I’m going to document how I get through this. Let’s fight through it together,” he told viewers.
Cha recalled how the diagnosis blindsided him. “I got admitted out of nowhere, did a bunch of tests and was told it was leukemia,” he said. “It all came so suddenly, and I’m not feeling great about it. I even quit smoking a long time ago,” he added, candidly describing his shock.
Before starting chemo, he underwent fertility preservation through sperm freezing, then had a line placed near his neck for treatment. Moving into an isolation room, he described the sterile setup as “like being stuck in one of those quarantine movie scenes.” Early on, he battled swelling around the line, frequent transfusions, a blood pressure spike up to 170, and chest tightness that made it hard to sleep.
Cha spoke calmly about the side effects: persistent bloating, indigestion and nausea. “Food just won’t go down, but I can’t not eat,” he said, noting that even forcing bites was tough. Still, he kept his spirits up by walking laps in the narrow hallway outside his room.
As chemo progressed and his hair began to fall out, he decided to shave it. “It started coming out in clumps,” he said, before flashing a smile post-buzzcut: “Doesn’t it look good on me? See you next time, hair.”
He also weathered chills, lymph pain and a drop in platelets. Mealtimes have him watching camping channels on YouTube ― and making a promise to himself. “I want to get discharged and go camping so badly,” he said, setting his sights on recovery.
Cha began focusing on acting in 2024 with his role as Kim Jae-hee in "Share House," and has since expanded his resume with appearances including "Seduce My Husband."
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)