Avril Lee En Xuan, 14

School: CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ School

Topic: A letter on a class celebration proposal

Award: Merit, Junior Category, 2024

Dear Ms Hana,

How are you? I hope you have recovered from the flu that you caught the other day. I was hoping to write to you regarding my Math teacher, Mrs Htoo.

I’m sure you have already heard from the other teachers that Mrs Htoo selflessly donated her kidney to an unknown stranger. I found out while reading the news a few days ago. Upon realising that the heroine in the article was really Mrs Htoo, I was shocked at first.

Truth be told, Mrs Htoo is a really strict and fierce teacher that many students are uneasy of because she’s very scary and grouchy all the time. My classmates even nicknamed her ‘Ice Empress’ because of her cold and unfriendly demeanour. I’m absolutely sure that none of us could believe our eyes at first when we saw the article! Turns out, Mrs Htoo is such a kind person, willing to give up her kidney to a random stranger. Not many people are brave enough to do so for their family members, let alone strangers! I felt so inspired by Mrs Htoo’s actions, but at the same time, I also felt guilty for making the wrong assumptions about her.

The main reason why I am telling you all this is to tell you that I would like to organise a class celebration for Mrs Htoo after her one-month leave. Her act of compassion really made a mark in my heart. My class is encouraged by her and would like to celebrate her noble deed.

I feel that our celebration shouldn’t be over the top, but still memorable. I remember Mrs Htoo mentioning that she loves to snack on crackers dipped in strawberry jam. Since our class is quite close to the staff room, I was thinking that during our class bonding session next week, we could surprise Mrs Htoo with a jumbo sharing bowl of crackers with a jar of strawberry jam for dipping. I was also thinking of playing her favourite movie — Mean Girls — for all of us to watch together.

This celebration is of extreme importance because Mrs Htoo had saved someone from suffering through kidney dialysis and watching their diet and liquid intake for the rest of their life. I’m positive that the recipient of the kidney transplant was very excited when they first heard the news of an available donor, and even happier when they finally received the kidney. The joy Mrs Htoo had delivered is unimaginable and the decision to go through with the transplant is no easy feat. Hence, we are celebrating her right decision and the impact she has made on the life of a stranger.

I sincerely hope that you will allow me to carry out this celebration for Mrs Htoo, our brave Math teacher as she really deserves it. Thank you for reading my letter and I hope you will consider what I have said and will get back to me as soon as possible!

Yours truly,
Avril

Disclaimer: Please note that the views and opinions expressed in the essays for the Live On Festival 2024 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