Kim Na-young donates stem cells, calls it ‘luck’

Sep 02, 2025, 10:31 am

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TV personality Kim Na-young has revealed that she donated hematopoietic stem cells, sharing her hospital experience in a video.

 

On August 31, she posted a clip to her YouTube channel titled “Stem-cell donation vlog (the lucky letter I waited 10 years for).”

 

“The Korea Marrow Donor Program contacted me,” she said. “I remembered signing up to donate by chance more than a decade ago. The matching odds are said to be very low, but hearing there was a patient who needed my blood made me incredibly happy that I could help.”

 

The video shows the procedures in detail. A nurse told Kim that “the chance of a match is about 1 in 20,000,” noting that genetics can make domestic matches range from a single person to as many as 100. For this patient, there were “10 or fewer” matches nationwide, including Kim. Wearing a patient gown, she said, “It’s such good fortune for both of us. I’m healthy, so I don’t think there will be any problem donating.”

 

After an initial apheresis session, a second collection was needed due to an insufficient cell count, prompting Kim to tear up and say, “I’m so upset.” Upon completing the donation, she reflected, “I worried a lot, but it was manageable. If my blood can help someone who needs it, it’s absolutely worth doing. They say you can only do this once in your life—well, I did it. I’m so proud.”

 

Kim Dong-yun, a hematology professor at Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital who oversaw the process, said, “Simply publicizing the donation process is meaningful in itself. It’s profoundly significant that someone donates their stem cells and another person gains a new life through it.”

 

Viewers responded with praise for her “selfless heart,” while recipients, families, and prospective donors shared their own stories in the comments.

#Kim Na-young 
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