The first brain donated by a patient who died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was delivered to the Taiwan Brain Bank recently, Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital said on Tuesday.
The donor, Huang Ting-cheng (黃鼎承), was a 50-year-old man diagnosed three years ago with the fatal motor neuron disease, which progressively paralyzes people.
Huang decided to donate his brain when he heard the brain bank was seeking brain tissue from people with motor neuron diseases for medical research and drug development.
Photo courtesy of Taichung Tzu Chi Hospital via CNA
After being notified of Huang’s decision, Hsieh Sung-tsang (謝松蒼), Taiwan Brain Bank Association chair and neurology physician at National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH), traveled from Taipei to the Taichung hospital where Huang was receiving hospice care.
At the time, Huang was already paralyzed below the neck and signed the organ donation consent form with his wife guiding his hand.
Huang passed away on Wednesday last week after being taken off life support. His body was transferred to NTUH, the only hospital in Taiwan capable of brain donation operations.
Also on Tuesday, Hsieh told reporters via a phone interview that he was very grateful for Huang’s generosity.
Huang is the first ASL brain donor in Taiwan, making it particularly meaningful for the brain bank, Hsieh added.
Other studies have indicated that neurodegenerative diseases could affect other organs, Hsieh said.
Therefore, in addition to his brain, Huang donated his heart, liver, lungs, intestines and stomach, as well as his blood for next-generation sequencing.
Since its establishment in November last year, the brain bank has received more than a dozen signed brain donation consent forms, including some from healthy people.
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