Chang Ivory (Zeng Yuting), 15

School: North Vista Secondary School

Topic: An email to the Head of CCA on an organ donation awareness project

Award: High Distinction, Senior Category, 2023

Dear Mr Javier Yon

I am Chang Ivory and as the Chairperson of Outdoor Adventure Club (ODAC), I would like to thank you on behalf of all the Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) leaders, for giving us this opportunity to propose our ideas and suggestions on how we can raise awareness on organ donation and transplantation amongst the students of North Vista Secondary School. This is also a chance for us to hone our leadership skills as we lead others in executing this project. Organ donation and transplantation has played a crucial role in saving lives of many unfortunate individuals who are experiencing organ failure. Without a doubt, I believe that raising awareness on this issue amongst the student body would be important as this project will further help students to acquire more knowledge about organ donation and transplantation. After careful consideration with the other CCA leaders and the Prefectorial Board (PB), we would like to propose organising a Wellness Carnival as a post-examination activity.

The organising team comprises the CCA leaders and PB. Through the interesting and interactive activities that we intend to organise at the carnival, I believe that the student population will have an enjoyable and educational experience. My goal for the Wellness Carnival is for students to support organ donation and clear any misconceptions. The student body will also learn to be more empathetic and compassionate through this impactful event and be more open-minded towards organ donation.

We will be organising a wide range of games which will be held at the Hall and I-Square, such as the Upsized Snake and Ladder, Frost Glasses Basketball Game and Blindfolded Object Challenge. The first game reflects the journey of an organ failure patient who eventually gained a second chance in life to start afresh with a transplant. Secondly, we have partnered with Singapore National Eye Centre who will present an experiential simulation to help students understand what happens when a person’s cornea fails. This game mimics a patient who has lost their sense of sight. Students will be blindfolded and will be asked to find selected objects in a box. Through this activity, students will gain more appreciation on the importance of sight.

We will also set up information booths to explain to students the benefits of organ donation and transplantation. From this experience, we can further develop our leadership skills by encouraging our schoolmates to adopt healthy lifestyles and be educated about treatment options, organ complications and its ordeals. I am sure these simple, yet informative booths will heighten awareness amongst the student population. We hope to translate this awareness into action, foster a change in behaviour and encourage more students in the future to go for organ transplantation to save more lives. One of the booths can also provide students with the opportunity to come forward and roleplay acts of altruism that inspire selflessness and kindness.

As part of the organising team, I have gained more knowledge about organ donation and transplantation as I had to research and reach out to organisations for collaboration. I also learnt resilience as I faced difficulties. These included resolving conflicts with my team members, as we had some disagreements. However, through my communication skills I developed as a leader, I was able to come to a conclusion with the others. Lastly, I learnt to have more compassion and empathy for others through the planning of this event as I had to understand and share the feelings of the patients and donors before I could educate my schoolmates about how important organ donation and transplantation are.

I personally think raising awareness on organ donation and transplantation is important amongst students because research suggests that students who are aware that organ donation saves lives, were 1.9 times more likely to be willing to donate their organs when they become adults. As a result, this increases the number of donors in the future creating more chances for patients to survive as there is less waiting time. To actualise this, the pinnacle focus must be on building awareness on the initiative, even if it is done on a smaller scale.

I am confident that if organised well, the Wellness Carnival will prove to be an educational and fun-filled affair, where everyone will walk away with a heightened awareness of organ donation and transplantation. Thank you once again for giving us the opportunity to propose our ideas, I hope you will give us permission to execute the event.

Yours sincerely
Ivory

Disclaimer: Please note that the views and opinions expressed in the essays for the Live On Festival 2023 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