Of sadness and hope

I was saddened upon hearing the news that 18-year old Siti Salmah Jasni had passed away due to severe septicaemia. Siti Salmah underwent the country's first simultaneous heart and lungs transplant on 2nd November at the National Heart Institute. My deepest condolences to her family. May her soul be blessed by Allah SWT.

Meanwhile, it is heartening to learn that Tee Hui Yi who made history by becoming the country's first double heart transplant patient is recovering well. The 14-year old girl is expected to start schooling again next year. My best wishes to Hui Yi on her full and fast recovery.

I text-messaged 17-year old Muhammad Fikri a couple of days ago. Fikri, dubbed "the Tin Man" by the media when he was fitted with a mechanical heart in 2005, had just finished his SPM examination. Fikri was the first patient in the East Asian region to be fitted with the mechanical heart internally. And subsequently, he received a new heart in December 2005. I asked him how he felt now that the exam is over, and he said he felt great and relieved that he was able to sit for the exam. I pray that Fikri has done well for his SPM.

Now that Fikri's exam is out of the way, I will be assisting him with his memoir entitled Echoes of My Heart. We hope that by sharing his experience, more Malaysians would understand of the great importance of organ donation in saving lives. Organ donation allows for organ transplantation to take place. While transplant may not be 100% successful, it has been proven to have given a new lease of life to a great number of patients like Fikri, Hui Yi and many others. Stories like those of Fikri's and Hui Yi's certainly have touched the hearts of many of us. Let's hope more people will be moved to pledge their organs.