Kindness opens his eyes to sign up as organ donor

NST: GEORGE TOWN: Kang Joo Lye @ Kang Hock Lye was seriously ill with stomach ulcers and his sight was poor because of cataracts.
A good Samaritan paid for his eye surgery in June, and it was a combination of happiness and "sorrow" that made him decide to become an organ donor.
"After seven years of pain, I finally went to the Penang Hospital two years ago. The doctor told me that I had two ulcers in my stomach, which caused me to lose hope. I thought I might die.
"When a kind woman paid for my eye surgery this year, it touched my heart so deeply that I decided to donate my organs. They will be of no use to me when I am gone," he said.
But Kang’s joy after signing up at the end of last month was short-lived. His wife and children objected.
They were upset that he had done so without consulting them.
"My wife did not speak to me for a week, and my children were wondering why I didn’t inform them first.
"But after I explained everything to my wife, she decided to become an organ donor herself.
"She will also be pledging her organs soon," said the 64-year-old at a news conference at Penang Hospital yesterday.
Also present were members of Sungai Pinang assemblyman Looi Swee Cheang’s service team and Penang Hospital medicine department head Datuk Dr Rozina Ghazalli.
Looi and seven members of his service team, as well as four reporters, also registered as organ donors yesterday.
Dr Rozina said more people should emulate Kang as the number of donors in Penang had been dropping over the years. It is now in third place, after Selangor and Johor.
She said that since 1997, about 17,700 people in Penang have pledged their organs, a small number considering that the state has a population of about 1.3 million.
Dr Rozina, a consultant nephrologist, said there were about 106,000 registered organ donors nationwide.
Some 61.8 per cent are Chinese, followed by Indians and Malays.
She added that there were many misconceptions about organ donation and urged more people to pledge their organs.
"We are sorely lacking in organ donors. As a result, those who suffer from problems such as heart failure die because they cannot get a heart transplant," she said.