Gong Mal-su, a devoted mother who died recently, helped extend the lives of three people by donating her organs, a state-run organ donation agency said Tuesday.
Gong died on Feb. 6 at the Pusan National University Hospital, two days after being struck by a car on her way home. According to the Korea Organ Donation Agency, her liver and both kidneys were donated to three people.
Born fifth out of eight siblings in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, she worked at a restaurant while raising her children.
Gong volunteered in the kitchen at a local temple, and was described by her family as a kind-hearted person who always lent a helping hand to those in need. The bereaved family said they decided to donate her organs because it's what she would have wanted: saving others at the end of her life.
"Are you watching down from the heavens? I thank you for everything you did for us, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you 'I love you' as much as I should have," Gong's son Jeong Hyeon-seok said.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
