A 29-year-old preschool teacher who was declared brain-dead saved five people through organ donation, a donation agency said Thursday.
The Korea Organ Donation Agency said Lee Seul-bi donated her heart, lungs, liver and kidneys at Yeungnam University Hospital on Feb. 27 to five patients.
On Jan. 28, Lee collapsed in a car while traveling to her hometown to visit her parents. She was taken to the hospital but never regained consciousness, eventually being declared brain-dead.
Lee’s family struggled to accept her condition but decided to donate her organs, believing she could leave the world by saving others rather than in agony, the agency said.
Brain death is a condition that allows for organ donation, as organs can still function temporarily. In South Korea, family consent is required for organ donation in cases of brain death.
Lee, who was born in Daegu, was remembered as a kind and pure-hearted daughter. She majored in early childhood education and worked as a preschool teacher because of her love for children. She was set to marry her finance in January next year.
In a letter to her daughter, Lee’s mother, Kwon Young-sook, wrote: “You were the joy of my life and my greatest happiness… Let’s meet again. I love you.”
shinjh@heraldcorp.com
