Su Yee Linn, 13

School: Evergreen Secondary School

Topic: Do donor families find hope in organ donation?

Award: Fifth Place, Junior Category, 2022

There’s A Light At The End Of Every Tunnel

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw “organ donor family” was that it was just another piteous family who lost a family member. There was not much I could say about them, as I grew up in an environment where such things were less frequently talked about, my knowledge on such matters could be deemed as less than adequate.

I can confidently say that these families deserve immense respect and admiration. After taking a deep dive into the plethora of organ donor stories, I’m stunned at how much these families are put through. I cannot imagine the initial gut wrenching feeling they get when they are informed of the passing of their loved ones, let alone imagine the state of distress they’ll be in for what seems like forever. The air of despondency that looms over any of these families can far exceed any sorrow in the world - dealing with a loss of such magnitude is not an easy feat.

Losing your loved one to the harsh episodes that life throws at you unexpectedly is one thing, but agreeing to donate their organs is another. Of course, it is a honourable thing to do, but donor families lack the support, both material and emotional, to get through. The ceaseless list of mishaps that could occur during the organ transfer would eat at them on the insides for days and days.

But, there is one beam of light at the end of the tunnel for them - a successful organ donation.

A successful organ transplant is not only a second chance at life for the recipient, it is also a fragment of your loved one living on inside of the organ recipient. It’s in all likelihood that this is the first shard of hope and gaiety both parties would ever have had for several hard, anguishing weeks.

To listen to the heartbeat of your own loved one beating on inside of someone else is not only reassuring, but also great closure. Of course, it does not numb the loss of them, but to listen to the legacy that they left behind makes up for all of it.

If you were to ask me if donor families find hope in organ donation, I would say yes. Donor families go through so much. A successful organ donation could be the beam of light in their dark lives. They may have lost a loved one, but they had given someone else another chance at life.

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