Little-known stories behind organ donation cards
The miracle of organ transplants not only comes from the success of medicine, but behind it also shines the stories of humanity and humanism.
The miracle of organ transplants not only comes from the success of medicine, but behind it also shines the stories of humanity and humanism.
Second Chance
“I was born a second time in this world, after a successful kidney transplant in 2017. My family is still complete, my children still have their father thanks to the miracle of organ transplants,” said Mr. NHD (Vinh City). Until now, Mr. D. still shudders every time he remembers the painful days of writhing, slowly dying, dying of end-stage kidney failure. His condition makes doctors shake their heads, always mentally prepared for the worst. The only thing his whole family can cling to is waiting for a “miracle” when someone donates a kidney.
“I was in so much pain that I couldn’t control myself and just wanted to die. But when I was really close to death, I realized how precious life is and I wanted to live, to be given another chance to live. I underwent two kidney transplants because the first transplant was incompatible. After completing the second transplant, my family’s finances were exhausted. But as people say, as long as we live, we have property. After recovering, my wife and I started over from zero and happily escaped death. Since then, every day of mine has always started with gratitude. I am grateful to the person who donated my kidney, grateful to the doctors and medical staff who operated on me, grateful to this life for giving me a second chance to continue living, to raise my children, to take care of my parents…”, Mr. D. could not hide his emotions as he shared.
Mr. D's story is one of many emotional stories from the miracle of organ transplants. Doctor Dinh Van Chien - Deputy Director of the Training Center for Line Command, Deputy Head of the Organ Coordination and Transplantation Unit,Nghe An General Friendship Hospitalshared: “Not far away, a colleague in my unit once suffered from severe polycystic kidney failure, his life was hanging by a thread with the tiring days of dialysis, at times it seemed he would not survive. Luckily, at the most critical moment, he found a kidney donor and had a successful kidney transplant. Now, he can return to his previous healthy life, can return to his mission of healing and saving people.”
On September 30, a male patient (36 years old), residing in Yen Thanh district, passed away due to brain damage. After being advised about the noble act of donating tissues and organs after death/brain death, the victim's family agreed to donate multiple organs. This noble act immediately brought hope and life to 2 patients with end-stage chronic kidney failure who were undergoing dialysis treatment. The remaining tissues and organs of this patient were transferred to Hanoi to light up hope for other lives.
The miracle of organ donation is that when a life leaves this world, the pieces of that person revive many other lives. Their departure is no longer empty, meaningless…
Happiness is “giving”
Why think about death when you are still healthy? Why want to cut off or give away when you are still whole? These are familiar questions that people who register to donate organs often receive from family, relatives, and friends. While many people are hesitant and shy about donating organs, there are people who are happy to "give away".
Ms. Ngo Thi Lan Anh - an employee of the organ coordination and transplant unit, Nghe An General Hospital of Friendship, said: "Among those who came to register for organ donation, there was a war invalid who left us with many emotions and deep impressions. He came to the unit 3 times, the first time was to register for organ donation, the second time was to submit the registration form for his wife, the third time he came with another comrade".
The character that Ms. Lan Anh mentioned is veteran Pham Trong Song (69 years old), Nghe An War Invalids Nursing Center. Not only did he participate in the registrationorgan donation, mobilizing relatives and friends to register for organ donation, he also wrote a handwritten letter to the unit that consults, collects, transplants, and coordinates organ donations from living donors and brain-dead donors - Nghe An General Hospital of Friendship. In neat handwriting, the veteran who fought and died to protect the Fatherland with a disability rate of 81% wrote: "How wonderful it is that the less fortunate patients (who may be our comrades, our comrades' families) will be saved if someone volunteers to donate organs after death/brain death. Thank you everyone, comrades for joining me in this noble gesture!".
Fulfilling his noble wish, the happy veteran said: “I was lucky to survive the wars, lucky to live in the care and love of my family and the attention of society, the Party and the State. Therefore, I want to do something to thank this life. After signing the organ donation form, I was satisfied and very happy, feeling like I was sacrificing once again for good things. When I pass away, another life of the next generation will have the opportunity to begin. Perhaps that is why when I returned after registering to donate organs, I felt healthier and more aware of taking care of my health. Cherish and preserve my body parts so that later "they" can still go on duty."
Also one of 106 people registered to donate organs at the organ coordination and transplant unit, Nghe An General Hospital, the story of Ms. TAN (born in 1987, Vinh City) made the consultants admire and moved.
“At this exact moment 2 years ago, I was saved after a special surgery, I overcame major events in my life. As a brain tumor patient, I witnessed a lot of pain, loss and painful, regretful departures. I also wanted to give up, but when I really stepped on the edge of life and death, I deeply understood the sacred meaning of life, knew how to cherish time and be grateful for the opportunity to be born. During the 10 days in the hospital after the surgery, I was in pain and longed to do something to show gratitude to this life. That is why after recovering, the first thing I did was to proactively find and register fororgan donation. This makes me feel relieved and extremely happy", Ms. TAN (Vinh City) shared.
During the conversation about her decision, Ms. N. could not hold back her emotions and burst into tears many times, but not once did the young mother who is taking care of 4 young children and 1 old mother blame her fate. She is grateful for the events that helped her change her attitude towards life, grateful for life giving her the opportunity to “give”…
