Adelia Yap Ngyan Hee, 15

School: Anglican High School

Topic: An email on a VIA project to honour deceased donors

Award: First Place, Senior Category, 2024

Dear Mr. Tan,

As an Executive Committee member of the Student Council, I would like to propose a Values in Action (VIA) project for our school population to honour deceased organ donors and remember the legacy these generous people have left behind.

Several weekends ago, during a family gathering at my distant aunt’s place, I discovered that she had numerous jars of stars displayed proudly on her mantelpiece. Fascinated by the beautiful stars, I asked my aunt if she had folded them. She shared that the stars were folded by some students to honour deceased organ donors, and she further explained the poignant reason behind their prominent placement on her mantelpiece. The stars made from shimmering strips of paper, causing them to sparkle brightly under the spotlight shining on the mantelpiece, truly meant a lot to my aunt as they were given to her to honour her mother, who was my late grandmother’s sister, and who had been an organ donor. The generous contribution of her organs had significantly enhanced the lives of several individuals, who were suffering from organ failure. The donated organs prolonged the lives of these individuals, giving them a better quality of life and it comforted my aunt tremendously to know that her mother was living on in some form through these organ recipients.

I was genuinely touched by my aunt’s honest sharing and greatly inspired by the students who had folded the stars for my aunt, and hence I ruminated over the potential things I could do to fulfil my desire to cherish the memory of the deceased who had given others a second chance at a better life. To this end, I would like to propose the creation of a memorial garden, which would be a tribute to the deceased’s memory. If this proposal is accepted as a school VIA project, the student population can either construct the garden within our school compound and the school can grant special access to the families of the deceased, or we can approach the National Park Board (NParks) to allow us to situate the memorial garden at Pasir Ris Park, so that family members can visit the garden freely.

Different levels can be assigned to handle a variety of tasks. For example, students from the senior levels can reach out to families of the deceased organ donors and survey if they are receptive to the idea of a memorial garden dedicated to their loved ones. If they are, the students can proceed to find out the design concept they would like for the garden, with a few design concepts, prepared by the junior levels, for the families to select from. Additionally, the families of the deceased organ donors can be given the option to choose a flower or plant to be planted in the garden to represent the legacies of their beloved family members. Some blooms that can be integrated into the garden include white lilies, which represent the circle of life, and forget-me-nots, which represent the everlasting bonds of friendship and love. After collating the survey data, the various levels of students can be assigned to secure an appropriate venue, obtain the funding for the project and source for the plants and flowers before planting the garden as per design concept selected as a school. Please refer to the proposed execution plan as follows:

The lower secondary students can brainstorm the design concepts while the upper secondary students create the survey for families of the deceased organ donors and conduct the survey in February. In early March, the Secondary Four seniors can collate the results while the Secondary One juniors secure the venue for the memorial garden. Concurrently, the Secondary Two and Three students can work on the budget and obtain funding for the garden. The lower secondary students can source for the plants and flowers in early April, before their preparation for weighted assessments and the whole school can come together to plant the garden in May, ending Semester One on a high note.

I strongly believe that the student population will benefit from this meaningful project as through the collection of information on deceased organ donors, students will appreciate the importance of organ donation, and may be more inclined to help save lives by promoting this cause in the future. Interviewing the families of the deceased organ donors through the survey will hone the communication skills of our senior students and working on the design concepts can enhance the creativity and thought-processing skills of our junior students. Working together to plant the garden also provides a chance for the student body to build camaraderie. By participating in the creation and maintenance of a memorial garden, the student population can develop a sense of environmental stewardship and responsibility. My proposed VIA project will raise awareness of organ donation, thereby educating the school population on the critical importance of registering as a donor and encourage my peers to consider whether they want to become an organ donor.

Honouring deceased organ donors is essential as these organ donors actively chose to donate their organs to those in need or contribute to medical research, possibly saving many lives and furthering the development of organ studies in the process. Honouring them is a way of recognising their selflessness and sacrifice. It will also provide comfort and support to their families during their difficult time of loss and grief. It acknowledges the legacy of their loved ones and the profound impact they continue to have through organ donation, offering much needed solace and validation to the donors’ families. The garden will serve as a living tribute to the generosity and compassion of organ donors, leaving a positive impact on our school and the community for years to come.

Thank you for reading my proposal and considering the creation of a memorial garden to honour the deceased organ donors as a school wide VIA project. I look forward to receiving your comments on my proposal.

Yours sincerely,
Adelia Yap

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