While the shocking death of Kim Pham, the 23-year-old woman who was brutally beaten outside a Santa Ana nightclub, continues to resonate, her tragic end will at least have a life-giving legacy. Her organs have already been donated and used to help sustain the lives of five patients waiting for transplants.
Nightclub victim's organs have 'saved five lives,' agency says
Pham's heart, kidney, lungs, pancreas and liver were donated to patients on the national organ transplant waiting list. She also donated tissues including "skin used for burn dressings, bone to repair fractures and prevent amputations, and bone marrow for orthopedic use."
Pham died of complications from blunt force trauma to the head after she was punched, kicked and knocked to the ground outside a nightclub on January 18. She was declared dead the next day, but remained connected to a ventilator for two more days to make sure her organs would be available for transplantation.
Here's the statement from Pham's family, issued through the non-profit organ recovery group One Legacy:
‘We are so blessed to have had Kim in our family because she was truly a one-of-a-kind soul. She always put others' needs before herself and never thought badly of anyone. She kept love in the center of her life and preached kindness and respect for others. The overwhelming love and support Kim has had over the past week is a testimony of her character and the influence she had over her friends and family. We will always remember her as a sweet, vibrant, and wise daughter, sister, and friend. She is our little angel and God's gift to all of us. Words cannot describe the pain and devastation we feel from being separated from Kim so soon, but we understand God has bigger plans for her and will continue to watch over her.Meanwhile, two women, 25-year-old Vanesa Tapia Zavala and 27-year-old Candace Marie Brito, have been charged with murder in Pham's death, and a third woman is being sought. Anyone with information on the assault is asked to call the Santa Ana Police Department at 714-245-839 or OC Crime Stoppers at 855-847-6227.
'The little gestures and silly things she did every day are what we all miss the most about her. It's a loss to the world that they will never have the chance to know her the way we did. We will always and forever hold her dearly in our hearts. We ask for the privacy of our friends and family during this difficult time. Please continue to keep Kim in your thoughts and prayers and help our family find closure and justice following this horrendous crime.'"