11-Year-Old Bedridden Boy Gives Life Through Organ Donation
KIM YEON-WOO – An 11-year-old boy from Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, made a lasting impact despite spending almost his entire life bedridden. On May 24, after being declared brain-dead, his heart and kidneys were donated to save the lives of three other children, according to the Korea Organ Donation Agency.
Yeon-woo was born in May 2014 and began showing signs of a neurological condition when he was only a month old. After receiving a routine vaccination, he experienced facial paralysis. Further tests, including an MRI, revealed a serious brainstem problem. Doctors initially planned to operate when he was older, around eight or nine months, but his condition quickly worsened. At just two months old, Yeon-woo underwent emergency brain surgery as the paralysis spread across his face.
From then on, he lived in a hospital bed, dependent on a ventilator to help him breathe. In 2019, he suffered a cardiac arrest that led to a significant decline in brain function. Over time, his organs began to fail, and he was officially declared brain-dead in May 2024.
Despite their grief, Yeon-woo’s family made the selfless decision to donate his organs. His heart and kidneys were successfully transplanted into three other children in critical condition, giving them a second chance at life.
His mother shared as per Inquirer.net that they hoped Yeon-woo could still experience life in a way he never had—through others. She added that they deeply understood the struggles of caring for a sick child and sincerely wished for the other families to live happy and healthy lives.
“We hoped that, through someone else’s body, Yeon-woo could experience the things he never had the chance to do, like eating delicious food and laughing,” the mother of Kim said. “We truly know what it means to care for a child in pain. We sincerely hope the recipients and their families live healthy and happy lives.”