Wee Kyi En, 14

School: CHIJ Secondary

Topic: Email to aunt on her health

Award: Third Place, Junior Category, 2022

Dear Aunt Tiffany,

How are you? Are you doing well? I remember seeing you in an extremely poor condition three months ago when you had a liver transplant job done. Recently, Uncle George updated me as well as my family members about you returning back to your usual unhealthy lifestyle which hence caused us to be concerned for you. In this email, I will be stressing on the importance of taking good care of your health, as well as the transplanted liver!

Since the liver has been transplanted from a complete stranger to you, it would be good if you treasure it with all your heart. Had it not been for his big heart, your condition might have worsened and you would have had to live on with a damaged liver. By treasuring the liver, not only would your health improve, you would also hold special meaning to the loved ones of the deceased donor, meaning they trust you to take good care of his liver and it might also bring them hope that even though their loved one has passed away, one of his organ has been able to save a life. In addition, an unexpected yet special bond might have been created between you and the donor’s family. Therefore, cherishing this liver holds great importance.

Besides cherishing the transplanted liver, taking care of the liver plays a crucial role as well and doing so otherwise may come with serious consequences. First of all, not only will your actions harm your liver, it would also affect the various other organs in your body. Second of all, it will increase your chances of cancer and on top of that, you might not be able to live a casual life.

Although the above consequences are irreversible, there are still ways of how your current unhealthy lifestyle can change, as every problem comes with a solution and I will be sharing with you a few tips! Firstly, it might be helpful if you tried cutting down on the amount of alcohol you drink each day. Secondly, instead of the unhealthy food you consume on a daily basis, perhaps you could replace it with healthier choices such as salads and yogurts and lastly, I suggest taking a walk in the nearby park every morning with the morning breeze.

I hope all the points I made above were helpful! Unce and I, as well as our family members truly only want the best for you! We all love you from the bottom of our hearts which is thus why we are worried for your health. It’s not too late to make changes to your lifestyle! Even so, better late than never! Hope to see you soon!

Love,
Kyi En

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