Dad donates son’s organs

Star: KLANG: His young life might have ended tragically, but Tang Seng Chun’s legacy will live on.
Tang Keem Khoon, 51, donated his son’s corneas, kidneys and heart valve after doctors at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR) pronounced the 24-year-old brain dead late last week.
The organs were harvested after Seng Chun, who is the eldest among three boys, died at 8pm on Monday.
Seng Chun, a chef in a restaurant in Bukit Tinggi near here, was involved in a wrangle with two car thieves on Feb 7.
Jason Kok, a close relative who was with Tang at HTAR mortuary yesterday to claim Seng Chun’s remains, said Tang donated his son’s organs to give others a new lease of life.
“The beneficiaries of the corneas are from HTAR while the kidneys have been given to patients at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital,” Kok said, adding that the heart valve went to the National Heart Institute (IJN).
Kok said Tang, who came from Ipoh to claim his son’s remains, believed that his decision to donate the organs would have met with Seng Chun’s approval.
“Seng Chun was a caring and helpful person who would do anything to help those in need. As a matter of fact, he gave his life to help total strangers,” said Kok.
According to him, Seng Chun had gone to the aid of a restaurant patron who was waylaid by two men at about 11pm on that fateful night.
“The patron was walking to his vehicle with a companion when two men tried to grab his car keys,” said Kok.
Hearing the commotion, Seng Chun ran out of the restaurant and rushed towards the car and managed to open the back door of the Toyota Hilux.
“He jumped into the car and a struggle ensued with Seng Chun grabbing the driver of the stolen vehicle by the neck,” added Kok.
However, a short while later, the robbers managed to throw Seng Chun out of the car.
“They then ran over him before speeding off,” said Kok.
Seng Chun’s girlfriend Yong Oi Zhen, 18, who also works in the same restaurant, were among scores of onlookers who witnessed the incident.
Sadly, no one offered to take Seng Chun to the hospital, alleged Kok. “It was after almost 20 minutes before a passer-by rushed him to hospital.”