Rachel Lee Xin En, 14

School: Greenridge School (Secondary)

Topic: An email to a close friend who received a heart transplant on how to honour the deceased donor and his family.

Dear Belle,

Hello! I hope you are recovering well from your recent heart transplant. After visiting you in the hospital, I am aware that you wish to honour the deceased donor and his family through your actions. As such, I went about surfing the internet for ways to express appreciation for them, and I have two ideas to suggest.

During the many years we have been friends, it always pained me to know that you had a lifelong disease which hindered your ability to enjoy life just like I could. I was constantly worried for you, in fear that you would fall more ill than you already were due to your condition, which made you weaker than most people. Every moment spent with you was precious, as I could easily lose you if your heart failed. This made me extremely protective of you, so I could spend as much time as possible with you. However, the day you announced that the hospital had found a compatible heart donor, all the tension in my chest dissolved, and ecstasy flooded my entire being. No words could express the profound elation knowing that someone was willing to give up their healthy heart for you, providing you with an opportunity to live without wondering if you would open your eyes to a new day, and this has stirred up a strong sense of gratitude. How would we be here celebrating your heart transplant if not for the donor’s unselfish intentions?

Therefore, you can exhibit your appreciation for your donor’s family by taking leisurely strolls or even going trekking in nature reserves. After each walk, we could capture pictures of the magnificent, lush greenery at our endpoint and send them to the family, showing them that the donor’s heart is still beating, and it is beating for you to take on trails in Mother Nature. The family would have pride and joy with the information that their loved one’s heart is offering their recipient a new lease of life, which allows them to expand their horizons and make so much more out of their healthy heart.

I know that both you and the donor love drawing. Perhaps we could create an artwork representing your heartfelt gratitude towards the donor’s family through shared passion, which amplifies your and the donor’s message. From his generosity in allowing you to live with a proper, complete heart, the artwork we create will convey each other’s emotions. I am sure that the family will feel honoured and truly appreciate your efforts, which incorporate their loved one’s memories.

Since your donor’s contribution to you is for a significant cause which saves patients worldwide, your family would remember his honourable decision. Your family would be motivated to participate in our plans to give thanks to the donor’s family, because if it were not for him, we would still live in constant concern for your physical health. I strongly believe that our close friend, Isaac, would also want to support our cause and reach out to others and raise awareness about heart donors as a manner of displaying his elation. We would not interact with each other the same way as we do if we had lost you to your condition. Thus, we want to show our support in honouring the donor and his family.

I hope you can consider either of my ideas. I look forward to visiting you again!

Love,
Rachel

Disclaimer: Please note that the views and opinions expressed in the essays for the Live On Festival 2026 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 ↗ (opens in new tab)