Father of Two Declared Brain-Dead After Workplace Fall Gives Life to Four Through Organ Donation

Declared Brain-Dead After Workplace Fall
Jang Sangbin, 44, Donates Organs
Gives Human Tissues to Over 100 People

A man in his 40s, who was declared brain-dead after a fatal fall at work, donated his organs and human tissues, giving new life to over 100 people before passing away.

According to the Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency on July 28, Jang Sangbin (44) donated his liver, both kidneys, and right eye to four separate recipients while in a brain-dead state at Gyeongsang National University Hospital on June 6. Jang also donated human tissues such as skin, bone, cartilage, and blood vessels, offering hope for functional recovery to more than 100 patients.

Mr. Sangbin Jang (left), who saved four lives through brain-dead organ donation, in a photo taken with his daughter during his lifetime. Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency

Jang, who worked for a security company, fell from a height of 5 meters while inspecting security facilities at a factory on June 3. He was rushed to the hospital but never regained consciousness and was declared brain-dead.

Jang's family decided to donate his organs, hoping that someone who always loved people and enjoyed helping others would do something beautiful to save lives even in his final moments. Above all, they wanted his five-year-old son and three-year-old daughter to remember their father as someone who did a good deed before he left, which also influenced their decision to donate.

The bereaved family shared that Jang had worked diligently for more than 15 years at the security company, and on his days off, he always prioritized spending time with his children, such as going camping with them. He was "a truly wonderful husband and a great father."

Jang's wife said, "In my early 20s, I once donated a kidney to my sick older sister. At that time, I believed that organ donation was the greatest gift I could give to someone I love, so I trusted that my altruistic husband would have felt the same way."

She continued, "I told the children that their father saved sick people and went to heaven, but in the evenings, they still say they think Dad will come home from work. They talk about their father dozens of times a day, mentioning the music he liked and his favorite foods," she said, her heart aching. To Jang, whom she called "such a good husband and a great father," she gave her final farewell: "Don't worry about the kids and rest in peace in heaven."

Lee Samyeol, president of the Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency, said, "We are deeply grateful for the warm-hearted love shown by donor Jang Sangbin and his family, who practiced life-sharing to save others at the end of his own life. We will do our utmost to ensure that the donor and family's love is well conveyed as hope to save other lives."