"Father Who Saved 8 Lives and Passed Away, Practiced Humanity"…Scholarships Awarded to Organ Donor's Children

D.F Scholarship Award Ceremony
Supporting the Dreams of Donor Families' Children
Promoting the Value of Organ Donation and a Culture of Sharing Life

The Foundation for the Movement for Organ Donation of Love (hereinafter referred to as the Foundation) awarded scholarships to children of brain-dead organ donors.

The Foundation for the Movement for Organ Donation of Love (hereinafter referred to as the Foundation) held the D.F Scholarship Award Ceremony. Photo by the Foundation

On the 17th, the Foundation announced that it held the 6th D.F (Donor Family) Scholarship Award Ceremony. Seventeen children of brain-dead organ donors were selected as scholarship recipients at this ceremony.

Among the scholarship recipients, Kangmin Shin (24), a third-year student in the Department of Geography Education at Korea University, is the eldest son of the late Pastor Junwook Shin, who passed away from brain death three years ago and gave new life to patients with organ failure. Pastor Shin, who was a registered organ donor with the Foundation, visited the hospital due to a headache but his condition worsened, leading to brain death. In April 2022, Pastor Shin donated his heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, kidneys, and corneas, saving the lives of eight patients.

Shin said, "Watching my father who devoted himself to his ministry during his lifetime taught me a sense of responsibility for life," and added, "I want to widely promote the value of organ donation that I experienced through my father, who practiced humanity until his last moment, and contribute to fostering a culture of sharing life."

Soojin Kim (26), daughter of the late Jongwoon Kim who donated organs and passed away in 2006, and currently a student in the Department of Business Administration at Korea National Open University, said, "I will always keep in my heart and never forget the fact that many lives were saved through my father's decision," and added, "The courage and love my father showed will be a great strength for me to grow into a better person."

From 2017 to 2023, the average age of 3,222 brain-dead organ donors was 48.6 years. Among them, 1,534 donors were in their 40s to 50s, accounting for 48%. The Foundation stated, "It can be inferred that many breadwinners with young children who require economic support suddenly passed away due to brain death," and added, "Since 2020, we have launched the D.F Scholarship to support the children of donors so that they can take pride in sharing life and pursue their dreams and talents without financial constraints by providing tuition support."