A short report by WC News of a life well lived and lost by sacrificing a life to save children; Dr. Donald Liu, chief surgeon at Comer Children’s Hospital at the University of Chicago Medicine, died while rescuing two children that were drowning in Lake Michigan.
Last Sunday, 50 year old Dr. Donald Liu lost his life after assisting two drowning children to safety. Immediately after the boys were safe, Liu was pulling under the water by a rip current and did not come back up.
“After he saved those boys and I couldn’t see him, they finally found him and they pulled him from the water. I tried to do mouth-to-mouth, but I knew. And it was so painful,” Liu’s wife, Dr. Dana Suskind said through her tears.
The Sun-Times Media Wire published an email that was written by Dr. Kenneth S. Polonsky, dean at the University of Chicago’s Medical School, in response to Dr. Liu’s death. Polonsky said “Don’s death personifies a life that was devoted to saving children.”
Dr. Donald Liu was not only known internationally for his expertise in pediatric minimally invasive surgery, but his colleagues at home describe him as a “brilliant doctor.”
Two young boys have been given a second chance in this life because one brave man was willing to give up his own in their place. Dr. Donald Liu lived and died by the dedication he had to saving young lives and as our hearts go out to the Liu family during this time of loss, we give thanks for this father’s, husband’s, doctor’s, brave man’s courageous acts for humanity in this life.