A woman in her 20s who pledged to donate her organs to help others while battling generalized myasthenia gravis passed away after saving five lives.
On the 17th, the Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency announced that on the 28th of last month, Won Yuseon (22) donated her heart, lungs, liver, and both kidneys to five recipients while in a brain-dead state at Gachon University Gil Hospital.
Won collapsed on the 20th of last month after complaining of dizziness and was transported to the hospital. She never regained consciousness and fell into a brain-dead state. Her family decided to proceed with organ donation in accordance with her wishes expressed during her lifetime.
According to her family, Won was an only daughter born in Gunpo-si, Gyeonggi-do. She had a calm and caring personality and enjoyed drawing. She loved animals and volunteered at a stray dog shelter. Although she wanted to become a police officer, she was diagnosed with generalized myasthenia gravis in February 2018. As living a normal life became difficult, she had to give up her dream. Generalized myasthenia gravis is a rare autoimmune disease in which the muscles throughout the body become abnormally weak or fatigued. During her difficult battle with the illness, Won registered as an organ donor, hoping to save someone else’s life in her final moments.
Her mother, Won Seohyeon, said, "When my daughter said she wanted to donate her organs at the end of her life, I told her not to say such things even as a joke. I am proud of my daughter who shares beauty until her last moment."
Lee Sam-yeol, director of the Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency, said, "Those who have experienced pain understand pain. The noble life-sharing of donor Won Yuseon moves our hearts deeply because it was carried out with a caring heart for others even in difficult circumstances."
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