An Angel Who Swapped Clothes with a Shivering Homeless Person... Saved Over 100 Lives and Left

Man in His 70s Saves Over 100 Lives Through Organ Donation

A man in his 70s who took off his clothes for a homeless person shivering in the winter cold donated his organs to give new life to others and passed away.

On the 19th, the Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency announced that Hong Nam-seon (75), who died on the 8th at Korea University Guro Hospital, saved the lives of about 100 people through brain-dead organ donation and human tissue donation.

Hong Nam-seon [Photo by Korea Organ Donation Agency]

On the 6th, Hong collapsed at home after complaining of dizziness and fell into a brain-dead state without regaining consciousness. His family agreed to brain-dead organ donation and human tissue donation to fulfill Hong’s wish to donate if he could save someone.

The donation agency and the bereaved family said that Hong liked people and enjoyed being with them, so it seemed fitting that he saved someone’s life even at the end.

Born in Damyang, Jeollanam-do, Hong was a bright and active person who would step forward to help those in need.

On payday, it was routine for him to buy meals and clothes for those around him who were struggling. In the cold winter, he would take off his clothes for homeless people shivering in the cold and sometimes wore their clothes himself.

Hong Nam-seon, who passed away due to organ donation
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Moon In-seong, director of the Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency, said, "We thank the donor and the donor’s family for making the decision to save lives for others at the last moment of life," adding, "We hope that brain-dead organ donation and human tissue donation will bring hope to those who are in pain and suffering at this moment."

Meanwhile, organ donation refers to the act of providing one’s specific organs without compensation to restore the function of another person’s organs.

Types of organ donation include brain-dead donation (donation of organs from brain-dead donors due to cerebrovascular disease, traffic accidents, etc., upon application by family or relatives), post-mortem donation (eye donation after death), and living donor donation (organ donation between spouses, direct lineal relatives, siblings, relatives within the fourth degree, or unrelated persons).

In South Korea, the number of organ donors was 442 in 2021, with an average of 454.75 donors over the past four years (2018?2021).

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