Collapsed While Traveling in Vietnam With Her Daughter, Declared Brain Dead... Gave New Life to Three Through Organ Donation

A Woman in Her 50s Who Volunteered for 25 Years Despite Illness
Gave New Life to Three People Through Organ Donation

Donor Gu Jinhee. Korea Organ and Tissue Donor Agency

A woman in her 50s, who continued to volunteer for 25 years despite her long battle with illness, made the noble choice to donate her organs after brain death, giving three people a new lease on life as she departed.

According to the Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency on October 7, Gu Jinhee (age 55) was declared brain dead on September 18 at Kosin University Gospel Hospital and went on to donate her liver and both kidneys to three recipients.

Gu collapsed due to a cerebral hemorrhage caused by sudden respiratory distress on September 12, while traveling in Vietnam with her daughter. She was transported to a local hospital, but her consciousness did not return. She was then transferred to a hospital in Korea, where she was ultimately declared brain dead without recovering consciousness.

She Expressed Her Wishes to Donate Organs to Her Family During Her Lifetime

Gu had expressed her intention to donate her organs to her family during her lifetime. Her husband, Kim Kiseon, said, "We used to talk about how it would be a good thing to donate our organs at the end of life," adding, "Our daughters also said that they had heard the same from their mother, so we decided to honor her wishes."

Kim added that in 2021, when his own mother passed away, she donated her body, and this also influenced his wife and the whole family. The daughters also agreed to the donation in accordance with their mother's wishes and the family's values to "help others and make a positive impact."

Donor Gu Jinhie and family. Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency

Born in Seoul, Gu married her husband in 1994 and had two daughters. In 2001, when she was pregnant, Gu was diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, which led to repeated hospitalizations over the next 25 years.

Despite her illness, Gu always put her family and those around her before herself. After moving to Busan in 2015 due to her husband's job transfer, she became active in the religious group at his company, supporting employees and their families in times of difficulty. She volunteered not only for hospitalized patients in Korea but also traveled abroad, including to Cambodia and Mongolia, for overseas volunteer work.

Spending time with her family on trips—whenever her health allowed—was one of Gu's greatest joys. With her husband, a commercial airline captain, the family created special memories, traveling together three to four times a year.

This past August, Gu cradled her first grandchild, born to her elder daughter Jisoo, and helped her younger daughter Ji-won prepare for her upcoming wedding next year. With their mother no longer able to witness their grandchild's growth or attend the wedding, both daughters acutely felt her absence.

"We Will Carry On Mom's Value of Making a Positive Impact"

Her elder daughter, Jisoo, pledged, "From now on, I will always ask myself, 'What would Mom have done?' and strive to carry on her values," while her younger daughter, Ji-won, expressed, "I am so happy that she was my mother," showing her pride in her mom.

Her husband, Kim, bade a final farewell: "Honey, I will always cherish the 33 years of happiness we've shared since we first met. Now, rest peacefully where there is no pain. I love you and am so grateful for everything. Goodbye."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.