Ajay Gopi, 13

School: Victoria School

Topic: Do donor families find hope in organ donation?

Award: Distinction, Junior Category, 2022

Firstly, I would have to put myself in the shoes of the donor’s family. Say my mother dies in a car crash. Upon hearing this news, how would I feel? Sad, even devastated. She has been with me since I was born, taking care of me, teaching me, and nurturing me. We had shared countless happy memories together. Losing her would be like losing a huge chunk of me. But then the doctor comes in and says that she is a suitable organ donor and that her heart can be transplanted to a 6-year-old boy who was diagnosed with heart failure. Anyone in that situation would be in a state of extreme grief. However, knowing that a part of their late loved one would be alive would provide them with comfort and hope, easing their sadness.

That is why I feel that donors’ families can find hope in organ donation. Donating a late family member’s organ not only benefits the recipients but also helps to give emotional support to the donor’s family. It helps the grieving process. At a time that can be very difficult to get through, many donor families take consolation in knowing their loved one helped save someone’s life. A single organ donor can save up to eight lives. By also donating tissues and eyes, the same donor can improve the quality of life for up to fifty other people. For some, an organ transplant means no longer having to be dependent on costly treatments to survive thanks to their generosity.

Most recipients also write letters of appreciation to the donor’s family to thank them for giving them a second chance at life and giving some condolence for the death of their loved one. In many cases, the donor’s family also becomes close friends with the recipient or even considers them as family. This is because the donor’s family feels that there is a part of their deceased family member living within the body of the donee. Therefore, by being close friends with him or her, the donor’s family feels like they are still living with their late loved one. The recipients also support and console the donor’s family through the tough times following the passing on of their loved one.

Organ donation is also free, and the donor’s family need not pay. The donor’s body will also not be damaged in any form. The donor’s body will also be treated with the utmost respect by the medical team. The same surgical standards being applied to any living person undergoing surgery will also be applied to organ donors. Any incisions made during the removal of organs are carefully repaired after the procedure. Hence, it is safe to say that the donor’s body will be the exact same as before except without the intended organ. Therefore, there are no disadvantages to donating a deceased person’s organs.

Learning that their loved one’s death was not meaningless and made many people’s life much easier and improved their quality of living helps to lessen the donor’s family members’ anguish. In many cases, organ donation helps to save the life of the recipients. In other cases, an organ transplant means no longer having to be dependent on costly routine treatments to survive. It also makes their lives much easier and more convenient as they do not have to rely on a heavy machine or waste many hours every week going for treatment. Many recipients also cannot do certain things that others can do. For example, people with kidney failure cannot participate in vigorous exercises because they are limited to drinking only 500 milliliters of water a day.

In summary, I strongly believe that donor families can find hope in organ donation because doing so helps to lessen their sorrow and provides them with comfort and condolence. This is also because donating their late family member’s organ has no disadvantages and it also gives them some reassurance by knowing that their loved ones managed to help someone greatly even after dying.

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