Suk-yeon (Ha Hee-ra) has everything going for her – a loving husband, two bright and healthy children, a cute puppy, and an idyllic life on picturesque Jeju Island. Everything changes one day, however, when a canister of pesticide explores in her face and she is blinded as a result.

The impact is devastating. Angry at her sudden disability, and unable to handle the emotional and physical adjustments, she decides to run away. Leaving her family behind, she goes to Seoul determined to learn how to live on her own.

Her abrupt leaving tears her family apart. Her husband (Kim Yeong-ho) loves her, but she does not want him around. I cried hearing his words to her, but nothing he says can dissuade her from leaving. All she wants is to get away. Her act leaves her son (Kim Hak-joon) feeling abandoned and betrayed.

In Seoul Suk-yeon is reunited with her dog, Toram. He’s a Labrador Retriever undergoing training to be a guide dog for the blind.

I bought My Love Toram, a 2005 two-episode SBS drama, because I’m a dog lover and because the drama is based on a true story. I did not expect that it would be so touching and moving. This is a beautiful story of a very special dog and the deep bond he shares with his blind owner. It is a story about coping, overcoming, believing, forgiving and loving…

The cast is excellent. One of my favorite actors, Kwon Hae-hyo (this guy is so talented someone give him a lead role, please!), is here as a dog trainer and friend of the family. Ha Seung-ri, the little girl who acted so convincingly in Glass Slippers, plays Suk-yeon’s daughter.

And Toram… He has the gentlest yet most alert eyes in a dog. It’s amazing how attuned he is to Suk-yeon’s needs and emotions. His calling in life is to be her eyes, and he is completely committed to that doggy calling.

Toram gives Suk-yeon hope to be strong again, to face the world and her family again. She in turn loves him with every fiber of her being. She is his “oma” and he her “baby.” Just thinking about how much they mean to each other makes my eyes well up with tears… Truly an unforgettable drama.