The 'Sorokdo Angel' Margaret Who Gave Until the End... Donates Body to Medical School

Bereaved Family "Expressed Wishes Before Health Decline"
Planned Donation to University Medical School Anatomy Department

Margaret Pisarek (88), a nurse who cared for Hansen's disease patients in Sorokdo, Jeollanam-do for 39 years, passed away in her homeland on the 29th and practiced a life of sharing until the very end by deciding to donate her body to a medical school.

According to the deceased's wishes, the body will be donated to the Department of Anatomy at the Medical School... A final choice for humanity

On the morning of the 4th, the memorial incense altar for Nurse Margaret Pisarek, the 'Angel of Sorokdo,' was set up at the Korean Nurses Association building in Jung-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 6th (local time), according to Margaret Pisarek's family and acquaintances, her body is resting at the Innsbruck Medical University Hospital, which is also the state hospital of Tyrol, Austria.

After the funeral, the deceased's body will be donated to the Department of Anatomy at the university's medical school.

Norbert Pisarek, the representative of the bereaved family and Margaret's younger brother, recently told acquaintances, "The deceased had long expressed her intention to donate her body to a medical school when she passed away," adding, "It was around the time she returned from Sorokdo to Austria."

He continued, "She had already set her will before her health deteriorated recently," and added, "Margaret hoped that even after ending her life, her body would be used for a good cause."

A friend of Norbert Pisarek said, "Even those who frequently communicated with the Pisarek family did not know that grandmother (Margaret) intended to donate her body," and added, "We only learned about it when asking where the body would be laid to rest and hearing it from Norbert."

'Angel of Sorokdo' Margaret missed Sorokdo even after returning home

Funeral Mass Notice for Nurse Margaret Pisarek.
[Photo provided by the family of Nurse Margaret]

Born in Poland, Margaret graduated from the Austrian National Nursing College and served for 39 years from 1966, caring for Hansen's disease patients isolated in Sorokdo, Jeollanam-do.

She earned the nickname "Angel of Sorokdo" by disinfecting the chapped hands and feet of Hansen's patients, who suffered from prejudice and discrimination, with her bare hands and caring for them diligently every day. The lives of Margaret and her colleague nurse Marianne St?ger (89) continue to inspire deep emotion.

In recognition, the Korean government awarded Margaret and Marianne with the National Medal (1972), the Presidential Citation (1983), and the Order of Civil Merit, Moran Medal (1996), among others.

Margaret left Sorokdo in November 2005. At that time, over 70 years old, she quietly left Sorokdo with only a letter saying, "I don't want to be a burden to the islanders," as her body aged and she found it difficult to care for patients. It is known that her colleague Marianne also returned to their homeland together.

Even after returning home, Margaret was said to remember all the names of her neighbors in Sorokdo and was curious about how they were doing. However, she was unable to set foot on Korean soil again during her lifetime.

Margaret, who suffered from mild dementia and lived in a nursing home, passed away on the 29th of last month at the age of 88 while undergoing surgery for a femoral fracture.

The funeral mass for Margaret Pisarek, who practiced devotion until the last moment through body donation, will be held at 3:30 p.m. on the 7th (Austrian time) at a church in Innsbruck, Tyrol.

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