Singapore's youngest donor saves two lives

One-and-a-half-year old, Hanano Oyama, became the youngest donor in Singapore, saving two lives.

Hanano Oyama is currently the youngest organ donor in Singapore

Singapore’s youngest organ donor

On the 19th of June, Singapore’s youngest organ donor, the one-and-a-half year old Japanese toddler, Hanano Oyama, passed away due to a tragic drowning accident. Hanano’s mother, Kema realized that little Hanano had gone missing during a poolside party at Rivergate Condominium near Robertson Quay.

Hanano Oyama was found unconscious at a swimming pool in a condominium at Robertson Quay. By this time, she had been underwater for ten long minutes. The doctors at KK women’s and children’s hospital fought long and hard to save the toddler’s life.

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Breaking the news

The doctors broke the bad news to her parents. Hanano was brain dead and they had the option to donate her organs if they wished to do so. “It didn’t take me even one second to decide,” said Hanano’s 33-year-old father to the The Straits Times. Hanano Oyama’s parents decided that they would donate their young child’s kidney and heart valve. This made her the youngest organ donor in Singapore, and a blessing to the two children that she saved.

One-and-a-half-year old saves lives

What’s left

“The only thing keeping me going is that she has saved somebody’s life,” said her father, a Japanese national, Norimichi Oyama. “That’s something I’m proud of.” Mr. Oyama made this decision with his wife. Hanano’s organs were used to save two seriously ill patients, out of whom one was a child.

Holding back his tears, Mr. Oyama described his daughter as a girl of strong character, and being charming and independent. Her teachers loved her very much, as did her caretakers at the childcare centre. Her caretakers loved to hug and carry Hanano, in fact they even came to visit her at the hospital.

Mr. Oyama urges parents to be extremely cautious when going to a pool with a toddler. He also urges to donate the organs of any person who has met a similar ill fate.

Hanano Oyama’s dad talks about the decision of making his daughter an organ donor

Saving lives

In 2011, a similar case occurred where a three-year-old boy became the youngest organ donor, when his parents gave consent to donate his cornea’s and his kidneys.

Daniel’s kidneys were given to an 11-year old girl whose kidneys had failed, and his cornea’s were given to two adults, one had an ulcer and was close to losing their sight.

On the 8th of July at 3am after Hanano’s organs were surgically removed and transported to the respective hospitals, she was cremated the same day, and her ashes were taken back to Japan.

Make sure to always look over your children at all times. For more on this story, watch this video about Hanano Oyama:

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Written by

Miss Vanda

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