Zhou Zitao, 14

School: Yuan Ching Secondary School

Topic: Letter of appreciation to donor family

Award: Distinction, Junior Category, 2021

Dear Mr Albedo,

I am writing this letter to you and your family to express my gratitude for how my grandmother’s life has changed after your father donated his cornea to her.

Firstly, I would like to give my deepest condolences to your father, I am very sorry for your loss as I am sure that a loss of a relative this close to you is awful. I hope that you will accept this condolence over your sorrowed loss. When your father passed, he donated his vital organs for the good of others, and we were fortuitous enough to receive his cornea for my grandmother, Ann, a year ago.

After getting the implant, her eyes have improved drastically and she has recovered well. Since acquiring her eyesight back, Ann has spent more time with us in the living room together, watching television and chatting casually, which has helped us improve our bonds and relations. Not only that, but she has also picked up a new hobby, stitching! When she is not spending time with us, we can always expect to find her in her room stitching a new cloth or quilt. This is a big change compared to before the cornea transplant. Before, since her vision was expeditiously deteriorating, she was cautious in whatever she did as she could not see particularly well. Her movements were also more monotonous and she could not enjoy her life to the fullest. She had to be monitored at home for safety and we could not go out regularly due to her condition. Now, her impaired vision is fixed and she can do any task well. She can appreciate the beautiful scenery at night and day, she can need not worry us about mundane problems which took a burden off our backs—before we had to leave work early to take care of her—she can walk and run without fear of bumping into anything, and most importantly she smiles much more!

Again, I cannot stress enough how much your father’s timely donation has helped me and my family. We have gotten less worried each day about my grandmother’s condition and it has allowed us to de-stress. Moreover, my grandmother now properly sees and will be able to now clearly for a few more years. In our house, my grandmother also has stitched up a quilt with your father’s name and face on it, in memory of his gracious donation. We have also decided that due to his selfless actions, our family will commit to donating our vital organs to people in need when we pass to remind us of your father’s donation.

I hope that this letter is a good enough thank-you note to your family for your father’s donation and a good update on the situation of my grandmother, a year later. Thank you, for changing my family and grandmother’s lives even from a small deed. We will forever be grateful for everything your family has done for us.

Yours sincerely,
Ian Cahill

Disclaimer: Please note that the views and opinions expressed in the essays for the Live On Festival 2021 are those of the participants and are not endorsed by the National Organ Transplant Unit (Ministry of Health).

To learn more about organ donation and organ transplantation in Singapore, please visit www.liveon.gov.sg