Passing a word called autumn faster than ‘LTE’, these days weather is like seeing people with wearing heavy coats is not awaked. I met a person who has a warm story to open our hearts to Kookmin people across the campus. Let’s listen to the warm story of a student named Tea Ryong Kim, majoring in Theater and Cinema.  

I heard you had a donor operation for a member of your family; can you tell us about the situation?
In the early part of last year, I had a donor operation to donate part of my liver to a younger brother of my father. He was healthy man but suddenly went into the hospital, so I was so surprised when I heard the news. It was would become a serious situation if we couldn’t find a donor. When I heard that, I just went to the hospital for testing without any hesitation. For liver donor operations, the tissues must match with the donor. Fortunately, my tissues were a match so then I had the operation.

As far as I know, when we usually have donation surgery, we have to follow certain procedures; how did you feel about all of them?
Yes, the procedures are quite complicated from X-ray to tissue examination, so generally it takes about a week. Normally, for the procedures you have to do them step by step, however in my case, the situation was urgent that all procedures were done and the results came within one day. I was surprised when I had to spend about 8~10 hours to test for the operation but I think I didn’t have any other choice.  After having time to reflect on it, I realize there is really no time to think about it deeply.

Anyway, this was still an operation; weren’t you afraid to have the operation that day?
Frankly speaking, when I heard my tissue matched his, I was happy. About the operation, I was just calm. I was not afraid about the surgery. When I say that, everyone thinks it is not true but I really was not afraid. Only after the operation, I was worried what I should do next. It is an impossible story to not have worries or fear because I was just so sad to see him growing extremely thin from the illness.

How does the donor operation affect the donor?
Before the operation, I received many directives. There are some dos and don’ts to help the recovering function of the liver for 2~3 years after the donation. I heard I have to regular checkups for one and half years after getting out of the hospital. In my case, I have recovered so quickly, in just about a year. They say if a donor can manage their body, they can recover enough to do anything in their daily lives after a year.

Do you remember something from the day you had an operation?
I heard a sad story. The day when I had the operation another patient who was supposed to be a donor for one of their parents ran away during the day, and eventually the patient passed away. I think even though the person was the child of the patient he was so afraid to be a donor. Surely, when you decide to have an operation, you have to give up something from then on. However, I feel that if the person thinks what is more important than his fear, he would then be able to make the right choice.

First of all, the operation for my uncle was successful, not to have any other problems or side effects. I have to check the color of a gallstone connected to my liver with a tube after the donation. However, I didn’t have a normal color after the operation, so I had to stay at the hospital more than I had expected. I got a notice that the donor has to manage his health carefully in order to be safe, so I managed my health well and now I am doing good and don’t need to go to the hospital.

Then, do you have any changes in your life after the operation?

Definitely, it changed a lot. First of all, I got tired easily because my liver’s function had dropped. Also, I had drunk alcohol since I was a freshman. After the operation, I totally quit drinking for one and half years. Now though the counsel of a doctor I can drink a bottle of beer if I want to, but I never drink over that amount. I think I have to keep managing my body even though I recovered completely. The maximum amount I can drink is one glass of beer.

Stopping drinking means you have endured a lot of change; have you had any change in your thinking about the donor operation?
I knew of donor operations before, but I thought I would have nothing to do with them. Many people might think like me. Even though I thought I would have nothing to do with it, I did it according to the situation and changed my awareness after the operation. Now I have the thought that I would like to donate a cornea. After we die our eyes are the first to disappear, so they could be precious things for someone who needed them. Actually, I changed my awareness a lot compared to my thinking before the operation. 

Could you tell Kookmin people about donor operation?
I hope people who know about donor operations consider them carefully. We don’t know when any situation might come so I hope many people can get courage for their family like me. However, I think if you consider what being able to help save a life means, you could find new meaning for your life. For sure there are many difficulties in just our thinking, but why don’t you think positively?

The donor operation is one of the materials found in TV shows, but Mr. Kim was the first one I met in reality. If we were put in this same situation then we could see how big of courage is needed rather than taking it for granted. As the end of year is coming, why don’t we practice sharing something with our neighbors?