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Penn Student, Aspiring Veterinarian Dies From Cancer At 23

Natalie Kim, a University of Pennsylvania student who dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, died after a period of illness on Tuesday, Oct. 24, loved ones said in her obituary. She was 23. 

Natalie Kim, 2000-2023

Natalie Kim, 2000-2023

Photo Credit: Courtesy of GoFundMe "In memory of Natalie Kim"

Born in Wynnewood to David and Jane Kim, Natalie began displaying a lifelong passion for animals early on, family members wrote in her obit

She interned at Radnor Veterinary Hospital before graduating from Delaware County Christian School as salutatorian, loved ones said. 

Natalie went on to earn her bachelor's degree in chemistry from Swarthmore College and achieved her longtime goal of enrolling at UPenn's School of Veterinary Medicine just two months before she passed, family members wrote. 

"Unfortunately, her lifelong dream of becoming a vet abruptly ended during her first semester (...), when she was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor," her mother Jane wrote on GoFundMe.

Jane and others are raising funds in Natalie's memory to donate to the Town and Country Veterinary Hospital in Media, where Natalie had worked for over five years, her mother said. 

"The practice was like her second home and her co-workers like her second family," Jane wrote. "She experienced so much joy when she worked there."

As of Monday, Oct. 30, the effort has shattered its $5,000 goal to raise more than $50,000. 

"One hundred percent" of the money, Jane says, "will go toward helping animals in need."

Family members said they will remember her gentle spirit, her witticisms, her diligent work ethic, and her strong faith. 

In addition to her parents, Natalie is survived by her sister Maggie, her grandmother Happy Kang, her grandparents Chai and Alice Kim, her aunt and uncle Susan and Peter Moon, cousins Ethan and Noah Moon, and her beloved cockapoo Maisy, according to her obituary. 

Click here to support Natalie Kim's memorial on GoFundMe.com or click here to read her full obituary courtesy of Donohue Funeral Home. 

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