Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
1. A very good evening to all of you. I am happy to be here with you at the Live On Festival Awards Ceremony 2023 to celebrate the achievements of our student winners.
2. The Live On Festival has grown from strength to strength since its inception in 2018, encouraging students and the public to contemplate on the topic of organ donation and transplantation through the Festival's Design and Essay Competitions. I was heartened to hear that we have received a record number of close to 5,200 entries from 111 schools and members of public this year, compared to about 3,400 entries in 2021.
3. It is important for us to recognise the significance of organ donation in Singapore, and the impact it has on families who are seeking help. Over the last decade, more than 1,000 kidney, liver, and heart transplants have been performed locally. Yet, there are still more than 480 patients waiting for a life-changing transplant for such organs. For organ failure patients and their family members, an organ transplant brings immeasurable hope. This gift of hope is deeply treasured by patients and their loved ones as they experience a transformative change in their quality of life. It is through their stories that inspire others and instil confidence in the miracles of organ transplantation.
4. Someone who saw hope transform into reality is Falisha Binte Zafilin. In 2015, Falisha, who was six years old then, was diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, a condition where the liver hardens and has scars. By the end of 2021, she developed a bad bout of jaundice. She described herself as the personification of the animated character called a Minion, with her hairline, skin, and eyes being noticeably yellow. She was constantly tired and was always falling asleep. In addition, she fell sick regularly, with frequent fevers above 40 degrees Celsius. She was forced to skip school on many occasions as she had to be admitted to the hospital very often.
5. When Falisha was 12, doctors estimated that her liver will only be able to function for another year. She was quickly evaluated for a liver transplant. However, her parents were assessed to be unsuitable to donate their liver to her. Thankfully, a donor stepped forward to donate his liver, and this gave Falisha an opportunity to live on. She could go to school, spend time with her family, and travel. Falisha lived through the darkest days, but now she has the brightest future ahead of her.
7. One of the themes for this Festival's Design Competition, titled "My Organ, My Companion", invited participants to think about the importance of our organs and how they accompany us in sickness and in health. As I walked around earlier to view the exhibition, I saw many artworks that vividly portrayed the profound impact one can make through organ donation. For example, Sophie Lim from Ngee Ann Secondary School illustrated her thoughts on how the heart is an organ that would walk through the hills with her through the different stages of life, and that at the end of one's journey when the sun sets, the heart could live on in her next owner, and accompany the new owner throughout her life.
8. For the Live On Festival's Essay Competition, lower secondary students were invited to imagine and describe their feelings in the hypothetical scenario of their family member or best friend receiving a life-saving heart transplant. This scenario challenged our students to practise perspective taking and in turn, develop empathy and compassion. The essays submitted by our students delved into some of the pressing but unspoken issues on organ donation. For example, Wileen Ng from Yusof Ishak Secondary School described the conflicting emotions of being a sister, whose departed sibling had donated her heart to her best friend, who was suffering from heart failure. Wileen concluded that, even if we had to deal with the pain of losing a loved one, the donation of her sister's organs meant that someone else's family didn't have to go through that same pain. It is inspiring to witness such empathy expressed in your works.
9. I hope all of you will walk away from this competition with fresh perspectives, ranging from the eyes of a donor to the organ failure patient and their family members. More importantly, through this experience, I hope you remember the empathy and compassion that drove you to create such remarkable works.
10. On this note, I am pleased to launch the new School of the Year award which aims to celebrate the collective effort of all our educators, students, and the entire school fraternity in their commitment to the Live On Festival. The award recognises the overall best entries by a school in three categories – the Design Competition, as well as the Essay Competition for Juniors and Seniors. I would like to congratulate Yishun Town Secondary School, Presbyterian High School, and Chung Cheng High School (Yishun) for winning the inaugural School of the Year Awards. I hope you will continue to think deeply about the social responsibility we share, and the importance of making a positive impact on society in our own ways.
11. I would like to take a moment to extend my appreciation to our educators. You have not only understood the significance of this topic, but also inspired so many of your students to think deeply and seriously about what this festival means. You have worked tirelessly to instil in our students a sense of social responsibility, as well as the importance of making a positive impact on society through organ donation. I believe that the journey has been a rewarding and fulfilling one for you. Thank you, teachers!
12. To the proud parents here with us today, I am sure that your children are buzzing with excitement to share with you the inspiration behind their essays and artworks. I ask that you listen to their stories, and allow them to share with you their inspiration.
13. In closing, I would like to thank the National Organ Transplant Unit for spearheading the Live On Festival. Through your efforts, I hope we can raise greater awareness on organ donation and transplantation in Singapore. To our students, never forget the potential you have in making a difference.
14. Congratulations once again to all the award winners of Live On Festival 2023. Thank you.