Lee Geunjeong (56), who donated left and right kidneys to two people while in a brain-dead state. Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency
A devoted father who once dreamed of becoming a car racer and a diligent husband in his fifties gave new life to two people through organ donation before passing away.
The Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency (President Lee Samyeol) announced on the 26th that Lee Geunjeong (56) saved two lives through brain-dead organ donation at Ajou University Hospital on May 16 and became a star in the sky. On May 14, Lee collapsed at home after work due to a headache and was urgently transported to the hospital, but he never regained consciousness and was declared brain-dead. Following this, Lee donated both of his kidneys, saving the precious lives of two people.
His family decided on the donation, hoping that Lee, who always stepped forward to help those in need, would do one last good deed by saving other lives at the end of his own.
Born as the second of four siblings in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Lee loved cars from a young age and aspired to become a car racer. To realize this dream, he worked diligently at Hyundai Motor Company, where he was responsible for testing the performance of new vehicles.
Lee was known for his precision and strong sense of responsibility in his work, as well as his high sense of justice and morality. He would reach out to help those in difficulty, even at his own expense. At home, having lost his father early in life, he tried to give even more to his own children, being a caring father and a faithful husband who always put his family first.
His wife, Jang Hyeim, tearfully said, “What I regret most since you suddenly left is not having done better for you while we were together. If you could just appear in my dreams once and say, ‘Let’s meet again someday,’ I would have no more wishes. Rest peacefully in heaven. I love you, and I will always love you.”
The family also expressed their hope that the recipients who gained new lives through Lee’s organ donation will recover their health and live well, and that this warm act of love will spread widely to bring hope to those waiting for transplants.
Lee Samyeol, President of the Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency, said, “I am deeply grateful to donor Lee Geunjeong and his bereaved family for their warm love in giving everything at the end of life to save others. We will do our utmost to ensure that the love of the donor and his family is passed on as hope to save other lives.”
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