Sharma Ashmi, 15

School: Methodist Girls' School (Secondary)

Topic: "In giving, we receive; and in saving lives, we honour our own." (Anonymous)

Award: Third Place, Open Category, 2025

“In giving, we receive; and in saving lives, we honour our own.” 

There is a sacredness in giving. Not the kind of giving that asks for anything in return, but the quiet, unspoken, soul-deep kind that comes from love, from compassion, from the simple and profound knowledge that our lives are deeply interconnected. Nowhere is this more visible than in the priceless gift of organ donation. In that gift, we see the best of us. In that gift, we find the heart of humanity. 

Imagine a mother watching the life of her child slip away before her eyes — watching their young hands growing weaker, breaths becoming shallower with each passing day. Imagine her knowing and having to swallow that bitter reality that no medicine can help, that no amount of money can fix it. And then, suddenly, a call, a glimmer of light in the darkness, a miracle. A stranger has offered a piece of themselves. A kidney. A liver segment. A chance. And just like that, the child lives. The child runs again, dreams again, sings again. And the mother, forever changed, holds the hands of her child and the memory of someone she has never met, someone who gave a part of themselves to save her world. 

This is the power of living organ donation. It is not grand. It does not shout. It happens quietly, in quiet hospital rooms, in whispered prayers, all because of the donor’s love, kindness and humanity. To give a part of oneself, an organ, is to say, “I choose your life over my comfort.” It is a love so large it cannot be measured, even when it flows between strangers. A brother donating to a sister. A best friend stepping up with trembling hands. A kind-hearted person offering their liver to someone whose name they’ve only just learned. This is humanity at its finest. Not only a gift, but a sacrifice, that grants joy and love in the lives of those around us. 

And the beauty of it? In giving, the donor also receives. Not in gold or glory, but in something far richer — the knowledge that they have changed the course of someone else’s story. That they have stopped a clock that was running out of time. That they have turned goodbye into tomorrow. Their body heals, but their soul shines brighter. Because to save a life is to become forever an irreplaceable part of it. 

But even more powerful, perhaps, are the stories that begin in the midst of loss. 

When someone dies tragically or unexpectedly, the pain is immeasurable. There are no words to comfort a family that has lost a son, a daughter, a father, or even a friend. The silence left behind is heavy and sharp as a sword, piercing through one’s heart. But even in this darkest valley, there can be light. When a person has chosen, or when a family chooses on their behalf, to donate their organs, death does not have the final word. A heart that has stopped beating in one chest starts again in another. Eyes that once saw sunsets and tears and joy allow someone else to see for the first time. Lungs breathe again. Lives that were about to end are suddenly, miraculously, reborn. 

In saving others, we honour those we’ve lost. Their names may no longer be spoken in the present tense, but their presence endures continuing to move, live, and beat on in the world. Every smile from a transplant recipient, every milestone that they reach, every laugh they share, those are now part of the donor’s story. A mother may see her child grow up, all because another child, gone too soon, left behind a gift of life. That is not just medical science. That is sacred. That is the human spirit. 

And yes, even though the ache of loss never truly fades, and the grief remains, many families say that knowing their loved one saved another’s brings a kind of peace and happiness that nothing else could. It means their life, though cut short, had a powerful, meaningful ending, an ending that opened doors instead of closing them. It means their death was not only an end, but also a beginning. A beginning to forever remember. 

In this way, organ donation teaches us the true meaning of giving. It is not just the act of handing something over. It is opening your heart wide enough to let someone else in. It is saying, “I want you to live,” even when you are no longer here to see it. It is choosing love in the face of pain. Hope in the face of despair. It is our shared humanity made real. 

And to the recipients, those who have waited months, even years, every donated organ is a miracle, a reminder that they matter. That someone, somewhere, gave them a chance and wanted them to live. Many of them speak not just of gratitude, but of transformation. They feel the weight and beauty of the gift. They live more fully, more intentionally, more gratefully. Because every beat of their heart now carries a silent ‘thank you’. 

So yes, in giving, we receive. We receive peace, a sense of purpose and the opportunity to build an ever-lasting connection. And in saving lives, we honour our own. We keep the memory of the deceased in the laughter of the living. We remind the world that even in the most fragile of moments, humanity can be breathtakingly beautiful. 

Organ donation is not just about hospitals and surgeries. It’s about love. It’s about choosing to let part of yourself live on in another. It’s about healing, not just bodies, but hearts. It is proof that even after our final breath, we can give someone else a first one. 

So let us honour those who have given. Let us thank the living donors, who carry scars not just on their skin but etched into their souls. Let us remember the deceased donors, whose final act was a gift that changed the world for someone else. Let us support and stand beside the recipients, who carry these gifts with grace, courage, and immense gratitude. 

Let us remember that in a world, full of division, fear, and loss, there are still people who give with all their hearts. There are still stories of light breaking through the darkness. There are still miracles, real, human, everyday miracles, happening quietly every single day through the magic of organ donation. 

Because in the end, it is in giving that we truly receive. And in saving lives, we don’t just honour others — we honour the best, most beautiful parts of ourselves.

Disclaimer: Please note that the views and opinions expressed in the essays for the Live On Festival 2025 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