Son donates liver to mother, tells her, 'Don't worry about it'
According to the hospital, the 75-year-old woman surnamed Moon made a full recovery from the April 15 liver transplant and was discharged Friday. It marked the 100th successful liver transplant of the hospital's organ transplant center.
The medical staff celebrated the full recovery of patient and her son surnamed Oh, who was discharged 10 days after the operation. The hospital staff presented them with carnation that is traditionally given to parents on Parent's Day.
The patient had suffered from a series of liver diseases, including a 2023 diagnosis of liver cancer. Her condition had deteriorated with symptoms such as coughing up blood and fluid buildup in the abdomen, at which point doctors recommended a liver transplant.
She initially hesitated taking liver from her son, but he reassured her, saying, "Don't worry about it. Just get better."
Professor Suh Suk-won of general surgery at the hospital, who performed the operation, said he was glad both the donor's and recipient's liver functions recovered, and expressed his wishes that the mother and son live long and healthy lives.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
![[Lee Kyong-hee] Dr. Oh's surgical tool bags in Pyongyang](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F07%2F13%2Fnews-p.v1.20250713.aee1cf38ab284a1aa9616ebb70565675_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
![[Lee Kyong-hee] Dr. Oh's surgical tool bags in Pyongyang](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fkoreaherald.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Korea Herald
13-07-2025
- Korea Herald
[Lee Kyong-hee] Dr. Oh's surgical tool bags in Pyongyang
As the Lee Jae Myung administration's North Korea policy stirred expectations of detente and potential geopolitical tremors, an obituary in a newspaper caught my eye last month. Dr. Oh Indong, a well-known Korean American orthopedic surgeon and unification activist, passed away on June 19 at his Pasadena, California, home at age 86. Oh enjoyed international acclaim for his expertise in artificial hip joint replacement. A former Harvard Medical School faculty member, he invented major improvements in joint replacement devices and prosthesis systems, obtaining 11 patents and winning prestigious research awards. Back in his homeland, though, his name is more often associated with the pro-unification movement. He was noted for his outspoken views about the division of the Korean Peninsula, including the role of the South Korea-US alliance as an impediment to unity, and possible solutions. How did Oh connect his successful medical career in America and his activism for Korean reunification? The long journey began in 1992, when Dr. Kwon Young-sei, then-president of the Korean American Medical Association, phoned with an audacious suggestion: 'Dr. Oh, let's go to Pyongyang!' Oh agreed immediately. 'Oh, yes! Of course, I'll go.' Oh soon was on his way to the North Korean capital with the KAMA delegation. Its goal was to lay the groundwork for academic exchange and medical support. The trip was before the so-called 'first North Korea nuclear crisis' led to the travel ban on American citizens to the North. 'Some of my colleague doctors who had privately visited North Korea to meet their relatives lamented the poor health care conditions there. I wanted to confirm the North's medical environment with my own eyes so I could do whatever was possible to be of some help,' Oh recalled in his 2010 book, 'My Surgical Tool Bags Left in Pyongyang.' Thus, as part of a five-member delegation, Oh arrived in Pyongyang on Oct. 10, 1992. That night, he could hardly sleep with curiosity and expectations. Though the sights in the city were unfamiliar, he found that people were not the 'red-faced demons to be defeated.' Contrary to the rhetoric heard in South Korea, the people north of the Demilitarized Zone displayed the same warmth. The realization came with a layer of sadness. That first sleepless night in Pyongyang, Oh did not think about returning many times in the years to come. But he realized that he needed to have a correct understanding of the causes of division and the state of confrontation. Upon returning from the trip, he began studying modern and contemporary Korean history, rediscovering national history and gaining a renewed awareness of division and animosity. In 1997, Oh launched Korea-2000, a non-governmental research council, along with like-minded Korean Americans. The group wrote recommendations on unification policy for the governments of both Koreas. In January 1998, Oh visited Seoul and Pyongyang to deliver the recommendations when hopes for reconciliation surged with the election of President Kim Dae-jung in the South and the ascension of Chairman Kim Jong-il in the North. Two years later, the leaders held a historic summit and signed the South-North Joint Declaration, also known as the June 15 Declaration. As co-chair of the US committee tasked with fulfilling the declaration, Oh strongly advocated the Korean initiative in cross-border exchanges and economic cooperation. He called for an 'economic community under a confederacy of two states,' pending peaceful reunification, and suggested joint management of the North's nuclear arsenal under the principles of nonproliferation and eventual denuclearization when reunification is achieved. 'Combine the South's mighty capital and technology and the North's abundant natural resources and human labor, drastically reducing the defense spending and military troops of both sides, then the confederacy will emerge as the world's fifth economic power with a population of 80 million within 10 years,' Oh reiterated. 'Unification will not mean the South's losses. It will be hugely profitable business for both Koreas.' For a genuine Korean initiative, Oh emphasized direct inter-Korean dialogue, rather than bilateral negotiations between the US and North Korea. In his article, 'Make South Korea the Real Party to North Korea,' published by the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability in 2000, Oh argued that the US wartime operational control over the South Korean forces under the Combined Forces Command hinders North-South dialogue. Oh began his medical assistance in the North in 2009, with joint operations with orthopedists at Pyongyang Medical University. On each of his nearly annual visits thereafter, he brought a load of artificial joints and surgical instruments. He also helped the North produce expensive artificial joints and prosthesis systems to promote self-sufficiency. 'Each time, I left my bags behind in Pyongyang. It was my promise to return,' Oh wrote in his book. 'I believe that in every human affair, communication and trust are the keys to solution. Through my visits, I experienced building trust and camaraderie with North Koreans.' Oh believed that he was tasked with healing the ailing legs of the North and the South to enable the two halves to stand firmly together. His mission remains unfulfilled. His surgical tool bags in Pyongyang must be awaiting another visionary.
Korea Herald
08-07-2025
- Korea Herald
Samsung to acquire US digital health firm Xealth in connected care push
Samsung Electronics said Tuesday that it has signed an agreement to acquire Xealth, a US-based digital health care company, in a move to strengthen its connected care services across wearable devices, including Galaxy smartphones, smartwatches and the Galaxy Ring. The acquisition marks a significant step in Samsung's long-term vision for Samsung Health, which aims to integrate wellness and medical care to help Galaxy users manage their health in daily life and prevent disease. Founded in 2016 as a spinoff from the major US hospital group Providence Health System, Xealth has established itself as a leading digital health care platform. The company partners with over 500 hospitals, as well as more than 70 specialized digital healthcare solution companies in fields such as diabetes, pregnancy and post-surgical care. Xealth offers a platform that enables physicians to assess a patient's health status comprehensively and prescribe or recommend appropriate digital health solutions. Medical professionals can also monitor patients' conditions in real time. Under the deal, Samsung plans to link biometric data collected from its wearables directly to professional medical services via the Xealth platform. The company also aims to expand the digital health care ecosystem by integrating the platform with smart home appliances to deliver tailored health solutions. The tech giant expects to finalize the acquisition by the end of the year. 'Samsung aims to improve the health of everyone through our extensive platform combining Samsung's innovative technologies and open collaboration with industry leaders,' said Roh Tae-moon, acting head of the device experience division at Samsung Electronics. 'We believe the acquisition of Xealth, with its accumulated expertise and extensive health care network, will be an anchor to accelerate Samsung's efforts to support health systems and digital health partners through truly connected care.' The latest acquisition is part of Samsung's broader push into future growth sectors. Other recent deals include Rainbow Robotics, Oxford Semantic Technologies, Sonio, Roon, Masimo's audio division and FlaktGroup.
Korea Herald
07-05-2025
- Korea Herald
Son donates liver to mother, tells her, 'Don't worry about it'
A story of a 54-year-old son donating part of his liver to his severely ill mother was shared by Chung-Ang University Hospital on Wednesday, ahead of Parents' Day on Thursday. According to the hospital, the 75-year-old woman surnamed Moon made a full recovery from the April 15 liver transplant and was discharged Friday. It marked the 100th successful liver transplant of the hospital's organ transplant center. The medical staff celebrated the full recovery of patient and her son surnamed Oh, who was discharged 10 days after the operation. The hospital staff presented them with carnation that is traditionally given to parents on Parent's Day. The patient had suffered from a series of liver diseases, including a 2023 diagnosis of liver cancer. Her condition had deteriorated with symptoms such as coughing up blood and fluid buildup in the abdomen, at which point doctors recommended a liver transplant. She initially hesitated taking liver from her son, but he reassured her, saying, "Don't worry about it. Just get better." Professor Suh Suk-won of general surgery at the hospital, who performed the operation, said he was glad both the donor's and recipient's liver functions recovered, and expressed his wishes that the mother and son live long and healthy lives.
