Clarissa Chee Rui Qi, 13

School: Methodist Girls’ School (Secondary)

Topic: Do donor families find hope in organ donation?

Award: First Place, Junior Category, 2022

The macabre sight of a stagnant heart monitor is one I’m sure nobody wants to see. Whether it be a fatal accident, an anticipated death or a cut from life support — it is equally grievous to witness. That dreadful feeling, that hollow sensation, that shocked emptiness is surely amplified when the deceased is someone you hold close to your heart, a family member. That very motionless line signifies a loss of opportunity, a loss of sanguinity, a loss of a life.

However, death doesn’t necessarily need to mean a loss.

With death, comes an unexpected, often overlooked hope.

When someone is being certified as braindead, there is a possibility. A possibility to donate their organs, to repurpose their loss into a hope.

In organ donation, the donor family finds hope. This hope is not limited to themselves, but includes a hope for the recipient, and a hope for humanity.

The donor family can find hope for themselves.

This hope could come with countless meanings. To some families, this could symbolise closure, after the shock and aftermath of the sudden fatality, to take comfort in the fact that there is still a final act of significance that can be done to leave a legacy for the deceased. To others, It could be a dream to spread the kindness of the donor to the rest of the world, an endeavour to spread and create awareness, to dispel the negative stigma that surrounds organ donation.

Regardless, I believe that all donor families would be able to see hope in this generous sacrifice– a glimpse of light, warm and gentle, at the end of the fogged tunnel.

The donor family can find hope for the recipient.

The concept of organ donation has been majorly seen as a taboo, and hence there is a scarce number of donations in Singapore. These rare donations are unable to meet the high demand for organ transplants, and this demand is expected to rise in the following years. More often than not, patients lie for years upon years for an eligible donor, and some even spend their dying days waiting listlessly for a chance at life again.

Therefore, I believe that the donor families have a shared optimism that the recipient of such a precious gift would be able to live a fulfilling, meaningful life. A hope that the recipient would be able to live on for themself, and a part of them, for their donor.

Lastly, the donor family can find hope for humanity.

The decision of donation in itself is an admirable act. In my opinion, donor families will not only be authorising the literal gift of life, they are slowly contributing to the improvement of scientific study we see today. The reason why organ donation is even possible is all thanks to the cumulation of medical research over the years. However, there is still much room for improvement.

With donation, psychologists have the opportunity to study topics such as the mental wellness of donor families and transplant recipients. This allows them to tweak the negative mindset and fear that comes with organ donation, eventually leading to it being more accepted in society, a catalyst for change.

In conclusion, I believe that organ donation is an act of possibility and purpose. It spreads a semblance of opportunity, a will to persevere.

Hope is the greatest gift that donor families can receive, and the greatest gift that they can give.

Disclaimer: Please note that the views and opinions expressed in the essays for the Live On Festival 2022 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