Actor Kim Sung-min donates his organs to save five people

Kim Sung-min, a 43-year-old actor who was brain dead after attempting a suicide, has become an organ donor and has saved the lives of five people.

According to the Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, Kim was diagnosed brain dead at 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, after receiving two brain death tests and the decision by the brain death decision committee. His family decided to donate his organs, which were harvested at 6 p.m. His kidneys, liver and corneas will be donated to five people, except for the organs of heart, lungs and small intestine, which doctors said were inappropriate for donation.

“HIs family readily agreed to donate his organs because he often said to his family and friends that he wanted to donate his organs,” said Yang Cheol-woo, head of the hospital’s Organ Transplantation Center. “Generally, it takes longer time from the diagnosis of brain death to an organ donation, but it was proceeded rather quickly this time.”

Kim was found hanged at the bathroom of his house at 2 a.m. on Friday and was being rushed to the emergency room. Medical staff did CPR for 13 minutes but showed signs of brain death, such as apnea and absence of brain stem reflexes. Kim was diagnosed brain dead first at 2 a.m. on Sunday and the final decision of brain death was made at seven hours later at 8:45 a.m. “He was delivered to the intensive care unit of our emergency center with his heart stopped and being unconsciously. There was no other sign other than suicidal,” said Yim Ji-yong, a professor of the Emergency Medical Center.

His funeral takes place at the funeral hall of Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital.

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