Rowan Francesca Yeo Zitong, 14

School: CHIJ Secondary

Topic: Do donor families find hope in organ donation?

Award: High Distinction, Junior Category, 2022

Imagine this scenario - you have just lost your only daughter to a ruptured brain aneurysm. You are devastated. The doctors have declared that your beloved is brain dead and suggests that you donate her organs for transplantation to needy victims. What would your reaction be? Should organ donation be encouraged? What benefit do donor families have in such scenarios?

What is organ donation? It means donating one’s kidneys, liver, heart and corneas for transplantation in the event of death. In Singapore law, the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) states that all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents aged 21 and above are deemed to be organ donors, unless they chose to opt out. Yet, Singapore’s organ transplant rate is one of the lowest in the world. People still have to wait for up to 9 years before they can get an organ transplant from a donor? Why is that the case? Why are donor families hesitant?

My view is that donor families can truly give hope to those in need of organ donations to stay alive. Take the story of Serene Lee in Singapore. She had multiple heart failures at the age of 30 and needed a heart transplant to stay alive. Every day, she had to carry 2kg of batteries everywhere she went to keep her heart pumping. Her face was perpetually pale. After climbing a flight of stairs, she would pant as if she had just ran a marathon. Her lips would turn blue and fainting spells was a common occurrence. Fortunately, after waiting for 7 years, she was given a new lease of life when a Malaysian family decided to donate their daughter’s heart to Serene. This story exemplifies the hope that donor families can give to the long list of less fortunate people who require such transplant.

Donor families can also find hope in organ donation because it keeps the memory of a loved one constantly alive. Not only that, it also helps strangers remember the deceased in a new and meaningful way. Lola Bond was only five months old when she was diagnosed with a rare heart condition. Brooke Eaton lost her son in a swimming pool accident and decided to donate her son’s organs to Little Lola. A few days after Lola’s operation, Brooke met up with Lola’s mother for the first time. As Brooke raised a stethoscope to her ears to listen to her “dead” son’s heart beating in another child’s body for the first time, Brooke broke down and sobbed uncontrollably. Lola’s mother hugged Brooke and she too, choked in her tears. The organ donation helped a stranger remember Eaton in a new way - as a selfless savior.

The selfless goodwill and donations of donor families will also encourage other people to perform similar acts of generosity and kindness. In Singapore, most family members object to organ donation. This is due to religious and cultural reasons. The family is also very often distressed by the death of a loved one. They continue to cling on to hopes that a “medical miracle” will bring the deceased back to life. However, when they think about the stories of generous donor families, they will be less hesitant to come forward to make organ donations, as well as difficult decisions for their loved ones. In this way, donor families can find hope in organ donations encouraging many others to do likewise!

In conclusion, donor families need to have close and important discussions with loved ones while they are alive. Every organ donation is a heroic act. Some people donate money or blood while they are alive. It is a little bit more complicated but some people donate organs after they have passed and in this way inspire others to come forward to make the world a more selfless and kind place to live in. My view is that donor families can definitely find lots of hope in making the world a better place through organ donation.

Disclaimer: Please note that the views and opinions expressed in the essays for the Live On Festival 2022 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)