Have a Heart

The country has been gripped by the saga of a 14-year old Chinese girl, Tee Hui Yi who needed a heart transplant to continue living - in two days, she received two heart transplants (the first failed due to transplant rejection) donated by the families of car-crash victims. It is generally an unprecedented act of generosity on the part of the victims' families, as Malaysians are not keen on the idea of organ donation (for various reasons: they feel it violates the sanctity of the body, as it has become 'unwhole', religious beliefs against organ donation, etc.). Not only Tee benefited; another unnamed man received new lungs. What can be donated? A single person can donate heart, lung(s), kidney(s), intestines, liver, pancreas, cornea, skin, bone, heart valves, and veins. And you don't have to be dead to donate (for certain organs) - although current legislation prevents non-donor related transplants (for certain obvious monetary reasons).

We all should have a heart for people who need transplants. If for some reason we die an untimely death, we should donate our organs to give others a new lease on life. I have registered myself as an organ donor many years ago, for I believe in helping others in life or in death. It's about time you do the same.