Jack Li Murray Wigmore, 14

School: St. Joseph’s Institution

Topic: Letter of appreciation to donor family

Award: Special Mention, Junior Category, 2021

The Angel Of Sight

Dear Mr and Mrs Lim,

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the selfless donation made by your son. We are deeply sorry for your loss and we wish to express our condolences.

The reason I am writing to you is to let you know that your son continues to live through my grandmother, who was the recipient of your son’s corneas. He has given her the gift of sight. When we found out about my grandmother’s condition, Keratoconus, her sight was hanging on by a thread. She was extremely sensitive to light and spent most of her time in her dark room to reduce the pain in her eyes. She used to be our go-to for fixing and mending our clothes. However, when her sight deteriorated, she could not even repair a button on a shirt for us. Her sight became more frayed as each day went by. We were informed that a cornea transplant was the only way to restore her eyesight.

When we received a call from the Singapore Corneal Transplant Programme, my grandmother was in disbelief. We were told she had to report to the hospital almost immediately for the surgery. At that time, we did not know it was your son’s donation that would give my grandmother her sight back. She said a prayer to her donor for his kindness and rushed to the hospital. During the operation, the surgeon was extremely precise. My grandmother would have praised him for his great needlework. After the surgery, when her sight returned, my grandmother said everything around her became more vibrant, like a tapestry of colours that came alive.

When her sight was fully restored, she returned home and picked up cross stitching as a new hobby. The vivid colours of the threads jumped up at her at every stitch, allowing her to produce intricate needlework. As she threaded her needle, she was reminded of how much she enjoys sewing. She has made many beautiful stitchings for us since then.

If it was not for your decision to donate your son’s corneas, my grandmother’s zest for life would have come to a standstill, like a dead knot. My grandmother has stitched the initials of your son’s name on her glasses’ cloth, so she is reminded of him every time she cleans her glasses. We hope this story will inspire more people to consider organ donation.

She has made this cross stitch picture of an angel and a sunset, for the both of you. The angel represents your son and the sun represents the gift of sight he bestowed upon her. We hope you will accept this gift.

Our family is forever grateful to all of you. May your son’s soul rest in peace. Please find this poem we wrote in memory of your son.

The Angel Of Sight

An angel,
Bringing light,
Radiating peace and hope,
Casting out what once was dark,
Illuminating my grandmother’s life.

While the sun may set,
It rises again.
Your enduring flame,
Reignites her life.
Undimmed and luminous,
Your brilliance lives on.

Yours faithfully,
John Tan
Grandson of Tan Mei Li

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)