Chinese man honors Russian wife's will to donate organs, saves four lives

Surgeons perform liver transplant surgery on a Russian donor named Nika at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University. (Photo/Wei Na)

On Nov. 16, 2022, surgeons from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University performed transplant surgery on a Russian donor who had been declared brain dead. The 30-year-old donor's liver and kidneys were used to save the lives of four patients.

It is the first case of organ donation in China in which the donor is a Russian, and the first case in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in which the donor is a foreigner.

The donor, named Nika, was hospitalized on Oct. 30, 2022 after she developed severe symptoms, including breathing difficulties. One day later, she was transferred to the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University. Despite emergency rescue attempts, the woman was later declared brain dead.

Medical records indicated that Nika's breathing and heartbeat stopped due to massive pulmonary embolism, which eventually led to a fatal brain injury.

Ou Yang, Nika's husband, said that when they were dating, he and Nika had talked about organ donation, and they had both expressed willingness to donate their organs after death.

"I decided to donate her organs, because this makes me feel that she is still alive and with me," said the husband.

Photo shows Nika in her hometown in Russia. (People's Daily Online/courtesy of Nika's family member)

Ou Yang contacted Nika's mother and told her about his decision. "My daughter chose you to be her husband, so I support all your decisions," Nika's mother told him. After obtaining his mother-in-law's permission, Ou Yang started the relevant procedures and obtained the documents needed to prove the legitimacy of the organ donation.

The act of kindness was eventually realized under the concerted efforts of various sides, including Nika's family, the Guangxi Red Cross Foundation, as well as the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) and the Department of Critical Care Medicine at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University.

Ou Yang, Nika's husband, signs a document agreeing to donate his wife’s organs. (Photo/Tan Lingyu)

Dong Chunqiang, director and physician-in-chief of the Organ Transplant Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, explained that Nika's liver was divided into two halves in order to save the lives of a 15-year-old girl suffering from acute hepatic failure and a patient suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma. The kidneys were used to save the lives of two late-stage uremia patients. All four patients are Guangxi locals.

Nika and Ou Yang tied the knot in 2018. In 2019, the couple went to Russia to visit Nika's family and Ou Yang then returned to China first. The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic left the couple separated for three years. This year, Nika was finally able to come to China to reunite with her husband. However, less than three hours after their reunion, she was struck by a sudden and devastating disease that eventually tore the couple apart forever.

Statistics from the Guangxi Red Cross Foundation show that Guangxi launched an organ donation drive in July 2011. By Nov. 14, 2022, 3,406 organ transplants had been performed in the autonomous region.

Ou Yang has a video call with Nika's mother so she can bid farewell to her daughter. (Photo/Wei Na)

Ou Yang gives Nika a final kiss. (Photo/Wei Na)

A mourning ceremony is performed before the surgery. (Photo/Wei Na)