On 16 May 2018, father-of-2 Soh Kian Hoon fell unconscious after getting hit by a motorcycle on the way to the car park, along Penjuru Road. He was rushed to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, but sadly, died 4 days later on May 20, after being declared brain dead.
He leaves behind two daughters aged 17 and 15.
In death though, Soh Kian Hoon managed to save six lives.
Singapore dad saves lives after his death…
According to Lianhe Wanbao, the distraught family of Mr Soh kept praying for a miracle. They even took his CT scan report to several brain surgeons, hoping for some sort of a breakthrough.
Finally, when they realised that he was never going to come back to life, they took an important decision. A decision that saved six other lives in return.
The family agreed to donate Soh Kian Hoon’s corneas, liver, kidneys and heart.
Ms Soh, his older sister, told Lianhe Wanbao, “My younger brother’s organs are in good condition. It would be a pity to cremate them when they can save other people.”
“It felt comforting to know that my brother’s heart will continue beating. His love remains with us.”
She hopes that this act can inspire others, and help save more lives.
We extend our sincere condolences to the family of Mr Soh. His heart lives on…
Organ donation after death in Singapore
For many patients, organ transplant is the only hope for survival. Singapore continues to face a severe organ shortage that prevents individuals with organ failure from receiving an organ transplant.
There are two ways in which organ donations may be legally performed in Singapore – under the compulsory Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) and under the opt-in Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act (MTERA)
Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA)
Under the mandatory Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA), four organs, namely the kidneys, liver, heart and corneas, can be recovered in the event of death, for transplantation. The organs will give patients with organ failure another chance at life.
All Singaporeans and Permanent Residents who turn 21 years of age and who are not mentally disordered will be covered under the Act. Those who choose to remain under HOTA will have a higher priority in receiving an organ if they need a transplant in future.
If you want to opt out of HOTA, you can download and complete the “Objection to Organ Removal under Section 9(1)” form on the Liveonwebsite or MOH’s website and send it to the National Organ Transplant Unit. You can also opt out of donating specific organs.
Under HOTA, stringent clinical criteria and steps must take place before organ recovery.
The deceased must be certified brain dead before retrieval of organs can proceed. Brain death is diagnosed only when there is catastrophic irreversible brain injury.
After brain death has been certified, the attending doctor will meet up with the family to inform them of the patient’s medical status. After which, the patient’s status as an organ donor would be verified against the Organ Donor Registry.
If the patient has not objected to organ donation previously, in accordance to HOTA, the wishes of the patient to donate his or her organ after death must be upheld.
MTERA: Voluntary organ donation after death
The Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act (MTERA) is an opt-in scheme. People can pledge to donate their organs and tissues for the purposes of transplantation, education or research after they pass away.
Under the MTERA, anyone 18 years old and above can sign up as an organ pledger. Only an organ pledger can revoke the pledge. Upon death, the organ pledger’s decision will be respected, and his family members will not be able to revoke his pledge.
You can choose to donate all your organs or specify those you wish to donate.
To pledge your organs, complete the Organ Donation Pledge Form and send it to the Organ Donor Registry.
For more information on organ donation, please visit www.liveon.sg
Also READ: How a heart transplant brought two families together…
(Source: Lianhe Wanbao, Stomp, Gov.sg, Liveon.sg)