Assoc. Prof. Dr. Duong Duc Hung, Director of Viet Duc University Hospital, presents a token of appreciation in recognition of the noble gesture of the organ donor’s family. (Photo: baochinhphu.vn)
A 19-year-old British tourist who died during a trip to Vietnam has saved the lives of three Vietnamese patients with end-stage organ failure, in a deeply moving act of compassion.
The young woman is the first foreign national to donate organs in Vietnam. Her liver was transplanted to a 53-year-old man suffering from acute liver failure linked to hepatitis B and cirrhosis. Her two kidneys were given to a 35-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman, both of whom had undergone years of dialysis while awaiting transplants.
In early April, the young woman was involved in an unexpected accident while travelling in Vietnam. Despite intensive treatment, she was declared brain dead on April 2 at Viet Duc University Hospitalin Hanoi.
In the face of profound loss, her parents made the courageous decision to donate her organs to save others. “Vietnam was a country she loved, so to give back to Vietnam is very important to us,” her father, Andy, shared on the hospital’s Facebook page.
Doctors at the hospital said the transplants not only fulfilled their professional mission but also embodied a powerful transformation of loss into hope.
The young woman had recently graduated from high school and was preparing to enter university. Her trip to Vietnam was a reward for her achievements. Her parents described her as strong, intelligent, and full of life, adding that they are proud her legacy now lives on in others.
Organ donation beyond borders
At an appreciation ceremony on April 8 to honour the donor’s family, UK Ambassador to Vietnam Iain Frew expressed condolences and gratitude, calling the gesture a meaningful symbol that could help promote organ donation in Vietnam.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Duong Duc Hung, Director of Viet Duc University Hospital, said the family’s decision was especially moving given it was their first visit to the country. Their act, he noted, transcended differences in nationality, culture, and belief, and would inspire greater awareness of organ donation.
Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan also sent a letter expressing appreciation to the family for their humanitarian decision.
VNA
