Make a pledge: A man holding brochures on organ donation at the National Transplant Resource Center in Wisma Sejarah, Kuala Lumpur. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/ The Star
PETALING JAYA: “I still feel that my husband is alive as he is part of someone in this world,” says Mashita Ramli, 42, from Selayang, who donated her husband’s organs following his death.
The mother of four lost her husband on Dec 31, 2022, after he was brought to the hospital and diagnosed as brain dead.
She said there was no sign of her husband being unwell, but all of a sudden, he was found unconscious that fateful morning.
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“The doctors at Hospital Selayang who treated him found him brain dead. His brain was swollen due to internal bleeding, which had no physical signs,” she said.
Mashita said the hospital did two tests to confirm her husband’s death before they removed his organs. Despite resistance from her in-laws and her own family, Mashita decided to donate his liver, heart, kidneys and corneas.
What convinced her to donate her husband’s organs was meeting an ustaz who had received a kidney transplant from his aunt. She said that her turning point was seeing someone lead a happier life when she made that decision.
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“I don’t feel that my husband is gone. He was too young to die at 40. I feel parts of him are alive somewhere, and for me and the children, knowing that his heart is still beating gives us some happiness. I hope we are continuously blessed by these good deeds and those who received the organs lead a healthy life,” she said.
Mashita added that more people should sign up for organ donation, especially Muslims, as it presented a way to give someone a second chance at life.
For homemaker Marina Mocktar, 42, from Puchong, her life returned to normal after her kidney transplant. She said undergoing dialysis restricted her food and water intake, and she could not travel far. But she is grateful for the second chance at life with the transplant.
“I can enjoy my life better now because I no longer have such restrictions. “The waiting list for a kidney transplant is too long, and the level of pledges is still low, even though you can do it via MySejahtera.
“Sometimes, family members disagree, so informing your family about being a donor is important,” she said.
Recalling her long wait and undergoing 10 medical workups (screening and checks) before actually getting the transplant, Marina hopes more people will sign up.
She urged people to consider signing up so that the waiting list can be reduced and more people can get a timely transplant.
