The family of young motorcyclist who was left brain-dead after a car crash last week has saved the lives of six patients by donating his organs in a bid to spread his “life and love.”
Chu Hsiang-chi (曲祥繼), a 17-year-old student at the I-Lan Commercial Vocational Senior High School in Yilan County, was riding home from a get-together with friends at 3am on Wednesday last week when he had an accident at the intersection of Yilan County’s Shennong Road and Minzu Road.
He sustained a brain hemorrhage, lung damage, as well as skull and facial bone fractures and was rushed to National Yang Ming University Hospital.
Photo: Wang Yang-yu, Taipei Times
Chu was declared brain-dead the following day.
Chu’s father called a family meeting on Friday afternoon and decided to donate all his son’s usable organs, including his heart, liver, pancreas and kidneys.
The organs were sent to National Taiwan University Hospital and Taipei Veterans General Hospital shortly after being harvested and were immediately able to save the lives of six patients who would otherwise have died of organ failure, National Yang Ming University Hospital said.
Chu was the only child in a financially disadvantaged family, and was raised by his father and paternal grandparents after his parents filed for divorce when he was six.
He chose to study in the evening division of the school and work as a plumber during the day to help cover his family’s expenses.
“Rather than mourning for the death of my child, I believe it is better to spread his love and life to others. I hope all the receipients [of the organs] can treasure my son’s gift to them and live their lives to the fullest,” Chu’s father said.
Chu’s aunt said her nephew had taken good care of the family and that she still had a hard time accepting that he was gone.
“Nevertheless, no one can undo what is done. At least by donating Chu’s organs we allow him to continue to live through many others,” she said.
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