A Man in His 50s Who Left After Giving New Hope to Over 100 People

Helping Restore Functions of Over 100 People Through Human Tissue Donation

A man in his 50s, who suddenly collapsed at dawn and fell into a brain-dead state, saved the lives of four people through organ donation and gifted a new life to over 100 patients through human tissue donation before becoming a star in the sky.

Donor Choi Byung-bae and his wife. [Image source=Korea Organ Donation Agency]

On the 21st, the Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency announced that the late Choi Byung-bae (59), who was brain-dead last month, donated his kidneys (both sides) and eyes (both sides) to four people through brain-dead organ donation at Chungbuk National University Hospital on the 29th of last month and passed away. In addition, he helped the recovery of over 100 patients through human tissue donation. Human tissue donation refers to the free provision of human tissues such as ▲bone ▲cartilage ▲fascia ▲skin ▲amniotic membrane ▲tendons and ligaments ▲heart valves ▲blood vessels ▲nerves ▲pericardium.

The deceased collapsed after losing consciousness while going out to drink water early in the morning on the 24th of last month and was urgently transported to the hospital. Emergency surgery was performed, but he ultimately did not regain consciousness and became brain-dead. His family, after hearing from medical staff that there was no possibility of recovery, decided to donate his organs to save others' lives. In particular, the Choi family was well aware of the hardships of the sick because their son had been treated for 'portal vein thrombosis,' a condition where the blood vessel supplying blood from the intestines to the liver was blocked and narrowed since birth. The deceased’s son said, "I know that the fact that a sick person can live a healthy new life is invaluable beyond comparison."

The deceased was born as the seventh of eight siblings in Cheongju. He was cheerful and active by nature, and after work, he would take his children to a nearby stream to catch fish, spending a lot of time with his family as a caring father. He worked for over 40 years at a leather factory producing leather for car seats. At work, he always took the lead in solving problems and handled overall management tasks. On weekends, he grew rice and shared it with relatives and neighbors, showing his warm-heartedness.

The deceased’s son said, "I always feel sorry for not expressing myself enough. I always had feelings of gratitude and thanks but couldn’t say them," and added, "Mom, don’t worry, I will take good care of things. I will live hard for Dad’s sake too. I miss you so much, Dad, I love you. Please rest peacefully in heaven, letting go of everything." Moon In-seong, director of the Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency, said, "We thank the donor and the bereaved family who improved the lives of four people and over a hundred patients through life sharing," and emphasized, "The Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency will continue to strive to save even one more life."

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