Donor family lights up other people’s lives twice

“A machine can be repaired when it breaks but when our organs fail, they cannot always be repaired and life can only be saved by a transplant,” says Choi Sik-ki (SK), who has twice donated the corneas of his loved ones for transplants.

SK’s first experience with organ donation came when his aunt passed away in a hospital 20 years ago. His aunt had no children, and SK was the only person to accompany her in the last days of her life. He was approached by the Eye Donation Coordinator Catherine Wong, now the Eye Bank Manager. Catherine only vaguely remembers their first meeting but SK recalls it clearly, saying he was depressed and struggling to cope with the death of his aunt. Catherine comforted him and encouraged him to discuss the issue of eye donation with his family. “I was hesitant because my aunt hadn’t mentioned organ donation before she died,” he says. After talking it over with his family, he decided to donate her corneas as his aunt was a Buddhist and SK believed she would have wanted to help others after her death.

Promote organ donation with Eye Donation Coordinators

12 years later, SK’s brother died suddenly from heart attack. In the midst of the family’s grief, SK remembered his brother saying he would donate his organs after death. He contacted the hospital to make arrangements. He met Catherine again, telling her he already understood the procedure after his previous experience. The two have since become friends and partners working together to promote organ donation in Hong Kong.

SK’s family is the first to make two corneal donations in Hong Kong. “Donors and their family are the core of organ donation,” says Catherine. “They are the source of love. No organ transplants would be possible without their donations.” She thanks all organ and tissue donor families and appeals for more to come forward to light up other people’s lives with love.

Waiting time for corneal donation doubled due to COVID-19

The number of corneal donation in Hong Kong was making steady progress over the past years until COVID-19 hit. The average waiting time for a corneal transplant in Hong Kong is now around two years – twice as long as before the epidemic because cases had to be excluded from possible exposure to COVID-19, according to Dr Vanissa Chow, Medical Director of Eye Bank and Consultant Ophthalmologist of Hong Kong Eye Hospital. Patients on the waiting list not only suffer from vision problems but also from injuries and discrimination related to the poor eyesight. “Minor surgeries and eye drops may help in some conditions, but many severe cases still require corneal transplantation to restore vision,” Dr Chow explains.

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