Sun Peiyan, 15

School: Hwa Chong Institution

Topic: Email about your father’s gift

Award: Special Mention, Senior Category, 2022

Dear Uncle Harry,

How are you? I am here to send my warmest regards to you. I understand that end stage kidney failure is life-endangering and you must be feeling very drained. Although you have received professional consultation from our family doctor, Dr Triston. I have also done some of my own research on this disease and sincerely hope that you can take into account my opinions and consider prudently. Nevertheless, I am rooting for you to pull through this predicament and stand strong against this disease.

From what I have heard from my father, it seems that you have started on the path of dialysis as of now. With the usage of dialysis as your main treatment, you can start right off the bat. However, there are also countless drawbacks to dialysis. Being the sole breadwinner of the family, dialysis would not be the most ideal treatment method for your disease. Dialysis requires you to travel to the hospital at least three times per week for four hours to perform haemodialysis. This treatment method includes inserting two needles into your blood vessels. All along, my father told me that you have always been afraid of needles. Performing dialysis means that you would need to embrace the fact that there would be two needles poked into your skin frequently. Would you be really amenable to all the needles penetrating your skin? Furthermore, dialysis would also need you to change and espouse a new lifestyle such as eating and exercising on a daily basis. There is a very rigid diet provided by Dr Triston that you must follow. At the same time, cousins Mary and Jane would definitely be heartbroken when they witness their aged father suffering, not being able to consume the dishes that he once savoured.

Father also mentioned that you have been placed on the deceased donor list. I would like to warn you that according to the National University Hospital, the average waiting time for a kidney transplant is 9.3 years in Singapore. Besides, your organs may slowly deteriorate during the waiting time. In the worst scenario, some candidates for kidney transplant might even face death. Therefore, I know that my aunt, Jennie, would not bear the thought of losing you. On the other hand, your immediate family is not suitable for kidney transplant as Aunt Jennie is diabetic and her genetic make-up is incompatible. Therefore, she is an unsuitable match for you. Cousin Mary and Jane are both too young to donate their kidneys.

My father has also undergone a medical evaluation which deems him apt to donate his kidney to you. Normally, siblings have similar genetic make-up which would make my father the most ideal donor. Since my father, a swimming coach, is still healthy and energetic, he will recover immediately after the transplant and you need not worry about his health. Additionally, a living donor kidney transplant patient would be provided with a much healthier kidney, more compatible, better functioning as compared to a deceased donor kidney transplant patient. Hence, the living donor kidney transplant patient would have a longer life span and I am certain that Aunt Jennie and cousins Mary and Jane would love to see you going strong and healthy in the future. As such, I sincerely hope that you would reconsider and accept my father’s offer.

Since young, my father always looked up to you as a role model. After losing your parents to a fatal car accident, you both became orphans. My father once described that as the darkest period of his life but you were his ray of hope back then. Both of you have only each other to depend on during your childhood years. You were also his first swimming coach when he had wanted to take up swimming as a career. Words cannot describe his gratitude towards you. As the saying goes, blood is thicker than water. No matter what happens to you, my father will always have your back and support you. This is also a chance to reciprocate your kindness as my father once mentioned that you gave up his opportunity to become a professional swimmer to earn a livelihood just to take care of your younger brother. Thus, my father and I hope that you will accept his offer as he would like to thank you for the painstaking effort to take care of him since young.

After hearing my thoughts and opinions, I hope that you would take time to reconsider my father’s offer in a positive light. After all, we are all a united family and no one in the family would wish to see you suffer. I firmly believe that Aunt Jennie and cousins Mary and Jane would desire to see you live happily and healthily. “He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything.” This is a quote from Thomas Carlyle. Once you have a healthy and functioning kidney, you would see a glimmer of hope and be able to pursue your goals and desires in life.

Love,
Peiyan

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