Mongolian teen who cheered for Korea gives five patients new lives through organ donation

A teenage boy from Mongolia who grew up treating Korea as his hometown has given five people a second chance at life, donating his organs after falling into brain death following a sudden traffic accident.

According to the Korea Organ and Tissue Donation Agency, Lee Tae-o (Otgon Sanjmyatav), a 16-year-old Mongolian national, donated his heart, lungs, liver and both kidneys to five patients while brain-dead at Korea University Guro Hospital on June 11, and died.

Tae-o was rushed to hospital after a sudden traffic accident late on June 3, where he underwent surgery and treatment but never regained consciousness and eventually fell into brain death.

His family agreed to organ donation, reflecting on his character and what they believed he would have wanted. His older sister, Yuna, explained their decision: "Tae-o was a child who always put others before himself and loved to give. If he had been alive, I think he would have said, 'Why didn't you let me help even more people?'"

Tae-o was born in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in January 2010 and came to Korea with his parents at the age of six, a decade ago. He attended kindergarten, elementary school, middle school and one year of high school here.

According to his family, Tae-o was far more at home in Korean language and culture than in Mongolian. He cheered for Korea during soccer matches and could sing the national anthem with ease — Korea was the only home he had ever known. He was a bright, outgoing student who enjoyed basketball, soccer and judo, and he dreamed of one day building his own business in Korea.

Warm and sociable by nature, Tae-o was elected class president after starting high school and was well liked among his peers. More than 100 friends and several teachers came to his funeral to bid him a tearful farewell.

His mother, Lee Sun-i, said her final goodbye to her son: "Thank you for being born as my beloved son. You didn't just receive my love — through you, I received so much love in return, and that made me truly happy. There is a Mongolian saying that a soul who has gone to the heavens is reborn into the family's embrace. I hope you will come back to our family someday." His sister Yuna also offered her parting words: "Tae-o, I love you so much."