Heartbreaking farewell: Vietnamese wife kneels in tearful goodbye as husband’s organs save 7 lives
In a poignant moment that moved medical staff and onlookers alike, a woman knelt in silent farewell as her late husband’s donated organs began their journey to save others. The emotional scene unfolded early on Friday morning at Quang Ninh General Hospital in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam.
A woman kneels in farewell as her late husband’s donated organs are transported from Quang Ninh General Hospital, Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam, May 23, 2025. Photo courtesy of hospital handout.
The organ donor, 37-year-old D.V.L., was declared brain-dead after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage.
In a remarkable act of generosity, his family agreed to donate seven of his organs — heart, lungs, liver, two kidneys, and two corneas — offering a second chance at life to multiple critically ill patients.
His wife, a healthcare worker at Quang Ninh Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, watched the procedure unfold from outside the operating room, her eyes fixed on a monitor.
As surgeons carried the sterile containers holding her husband’s organs out of the operating room for transport to other hospitals, she approached, her hands trembling and eyes brimming with tears.
In a moment that gripped everyone present, she dropped to her knees, gently touching each container — a solemn, sacred goodbye to the parts of the man she had loved.
The deeply moving gesture touched the hearts of many at the scene, symbolizing not only profound personal grief but also the extraordinary compassion of a family choosing life in the face of loss.
This marks only the second time Quang Ninh General Hospital has carried out an organ donation from a brain-dead donor.
L. was rushed to the hospital late on Wednesday after collapsing from a brain hemorrhage.
Despite intensive efforts, doctors could not save him.
After three clinical assessments confirmed his brain death, his family gave their consent for organ donation.
Medical staff bow in respect to an organ donor before beginning the organ retrieval and transplant procedure at Quang Ninh General Hoópital in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam, May 23, 2025. Photo courtesy of hospital handout.
A gift for life
The operation involved hundreds of healthcare professionals working in perfect coordination.
Over the course of three intense hours, surgical teams successfully harvested the donor’s organs.
The two kidneys were transplanted into end-stage renal failure patients at Quang Ninh General Hospital and Viet Duc University Hoópital in Hanoi.
Surgeons reported that the organs immediately resumed function, producing urine and showing healthy blood flow.
The remaining organs were swiftly transported under strict preservation protocols: the heart and liver to Viet Duc University Hospital, the lungs to the National Lung Hospital in Hanoi, and the corneas to Hue Central Hospital in Hue City and the Vietnam National Eye Hospital in Hanoi.
“This is a story of extraordinary courage and compassion,” said Dr. Nguyen Ba Viet, director of Quang Ninh General Hospital.
“We are deeply moved by the love and generosity shown by this family.
“We hope his wife finds peace knowing that seven lives — and seven families — have been given hope thanks to his final gift.”
Bao Anh - Duong Lieu / Tuoi Tre News