A 19-year-old who dreamed of becoming a chef has died, giving new life to seven patients through organ donation after brain death.
Kang Min-soo, 19, donated his heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, both kidneys and corneas to seven recipients after being declared brain-dead at Myongji Hospital on Sept. 30, the Korea Organ Donation Agency said on the 22nd.
Kang's parents decided on the donation while remembering a son who could never walk past someone in need. They believed he would have made the same choice if it meant helping others. "It brings me great comfort to think that Min-soo's heart is beating well in someone else's body," said his father, Kang Sung-won.
Born in Busan as the second of two children, Kang had dreamed since childhood of becoming a chef and opening his own restaurant. He enrolled in a culinary high school and attended cooking classes to build his skills. In his spare time, he made dishes and baked bread for his family. His father said the ramen his son cooked for him remains his most vivid memory, and that he still cannot forget the taste.
"Min-soo, I miss the way you came up to me calling me Dad, and I miss your voice so much," his father said in a final message. "I will always be here, so come visit me now and then. I miss you so much, and I love you."