Chin Yit Ting Charis, 14

School: Dunman High School

Topic: What does organ donation mean to you?

Award: Merit, Junior Category, 2021

Organ Donation: To Be A Hero

After a patient is officially pronounced brain-dead, deceased organ donation becomes an option for the family of the deceased to consider. Many are afraid of organ donation and what it entails: death, taboos, an improper send-off of the deceased. However, I believe that organ donation does not make the donor lacking in any manner, but instead a hero. Organ donation is an act of the donor’s faith towards humanity, brings honour to the donor’s life and death, and a noble sacrifice to exchange for a new hope.

Firstly, organ donation is an act of the donor’s faith towards humanity. By considering the greater good and putting the benefits of others before oneself, donors place their trust in others for their very last act in life, with the belief that they will be able to positively lead others in society to do what little they can in creating an impactful change for a good cause, in the long run. Willing to give up a perceived “peaceful death” of burying or cremation of their intact body if there is even the slightest chance of saving others in the process, the selflessness, trust and dedication organ donors display to all mankind is boundless, demonstrating the donor’s faith towards humanity.

Secondly, organ donation allows for the donor’s life and death to be made an honourable one. Said Albert Einstein, “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” To live for others is to be attentive and thoughtful to the needs of others and do one’s utmost to help them reach their goals, even if it should inconvenience themselves. Organ donation embodies this to the very essence: to give, even after death. Donors are aware of the fact that even after an arduous journey of life, they will not even be able to be sent off with an intact, untouched body. Yet they choose to stand their ground on organ donation, recognising that it is not about who they were when alive, but what they had done to contribute back to society and save a life. They leave behind on earth an invaluable legacy that is far more meaningful than the physical body they leave behind. The courage displayed by donors between life and death is highly admirable, bringing more significance and honour to the life and death of the donor.

Lastly, organ donation is a noble sacrifice in exchange for a new hope. According to the National Organ Transplant Unit, there are over 400 individuals on the waiting list for an organ transplant. However, many patients suffering from organ failures or other organ-related conditions that require a transplant may only have a limited time left to live, be it years or even months. With their chances of survival greatly reduced should they be unable to receive an organ transplant in a certain period of time, feelings of resignation, helplessness and despair are common among patients. However, organ donors serve as a lifeline that reassures recipients of the existence of brotherly love people have for one another in society. In the transferring of an organ, recipients receive assurance in moments of hopelessness, and a renewed chance to live. Organ donors’ heroic sacrifice brings patients one step closer towards their lifelong hope of an eventual full recovery, fortifying them in strengths and rekindling their determination to pull through struggles.

Organ donation is a highly meaningful process. Through it all, great courage and perseverance are needed for donors to make the decision to donate their organs. The physical lack of organs is perfunctory as organ donation raises the donor up to be a hero. It is a show of the donor’s belief that others will be collectively led by their action of organ donation to put the interests of the greater good ahead of their own, an imparting of great significance to the donor’s life and death, and a noble sacrifice in exchange for a new hope. If we were to make a collective effort in consenting to organ donation, the magnitude of its benefits would be exponentially amplified, leading to a much greater shift in mindset to consider others in society. By actively expressing our willingness to accept and lend them a helping hand in struggles, we exercise responsibility and are thus able to channel our inner heroes.

Disclaimer: Please note that the views and opinions expressed in the essays for the Live On Festival 2021 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)