Bells of Gratitude

The sound of the bell of gratitude rang out in the auditorium of Hanoi Medical University on a May morning.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra slowly rang the bells to inaugurate the May 20th Organ and Tissue Donation Day. The resounding sound seemed to carry the heartbeat of hearts that had stopped but were still being reborn in the chest of another human being.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra rings the bell in gratitude at the ceremony on the morning of May 20. Photo: Tien Phong.

Life sprouts like seeds sown in the earth after a storm.

Amidst that deeply moving atmosphere, many families of organ donors silently held hands. They were the people who had made the most painful yet noble decision in a moment of ultimate loss: agreeing to donate a part of their loved one's body to save the lives of strangers.

It's not just about giving, but about overcoming one's own pain to save the life of another.

Life is a constant journey of giving and receiving. And perhaps, the most wonderful things that people receive always begin with compassion.

Along that path filled with love, countless patients have been brought back home from the brink of death. It also means that countless families have been reunited at a moment when they seemed destined for eternal separation.

These were truly acts of resurrection. Because more than anyone else, those who were saved will always understand that nothing is more important than life and humanity.

Fate may bring a person's journey to an end in this world, but the light of their goodness continues to shine on other lives.

A heart, a liver, a pair of corneas, or even just a tiny piece of tissue donated can open up a whole future for those left behind. And perhaps, somewhere far away, those who donated their bodies only hope that the recipient will live their lives to the fullest, living out the hope that they themselves didn't get to experience.

Doctors at Military Central Hospital 108 express their gratitude to organ donors before beginning the organ harvesting procedure. Photo: Tien Phong.

The May 20th Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Day is organized to spread correct awareness about organ and tissue donation after death, gradually removing spiritual, customary, and prejudiced barriers that still exist in society.

For generations, the fear of dying without a complete body has weighed heavily on the minds of many. Giving away money, houses, or food is difficult enough, but giving away one's own body after death is infinitely more challenging. To overcome this prejudice, humanity has had to go through countless stages of intellectual growth and compassion.

Amidst the countless pressures and uncertainties of modern life, people are increasingly realizing that there are things no machine or technology can create: life itself, originating from the human body.

And then people started wondering why we don't give? Donating a part of the body isn't the end, but a way for life to be "replicated" in another life.

If dust will eventually return to dust, then the most beautiful thing that remains is the smile of the person saved. That is also the "smile of the soul"—a happiness that can only be created when medical progress goes hand in hand with understanding and compassion between people.

May 20th is also an occasion to pay tribute to the "unsung heroes" in the medical field. These are the doctors, coordinators, medical staff, and volunteers who are constantly racing against time to save lives.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, when it seems people are being swept up in a whirlwind of personal worries, they have proven that humanity and self-sacrifice still shine brightly in this world.

The seven-hour journey across Vietnam to transport a donated heart from North to South brought tears to many eyes. That heart had left the chest of a young man who tragically passed away in an accident, but hundreds of people united in their love to keep it beating in another body.

From the police escorts and airline staff to the surgeons and the coordination team, everyone raced against time to prolong life. It was not just a journey of medicine, but also a journey of human compassion.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra and delegates launch the May 20th Organ Donation Awareness Day. Photo: Tien Phong.

Proud achievements of the organ transplantation specialty.

Looking back over 30 years of development, Vietnam's organ transplantation sector has made many proud strides. From the first organ transplants, which were fraught with difficulties, Vietnam has now mastered the techniques of transplanting many types of organs and has successfully performed numerous complex multi-organ transplants. In the last two years alone, hospitals have performed more than 1,000 organ transplants annually.

Previously, only five central-level hospitals were capable of performing organ transplants: Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, Military Central Hospital 108, Military Hospital 103, Hue Central Hospital, and Cho Ray Hospital. Now, 34 hospitals nationwide have been licensed to perform this technique.

Vietnamese doctors have mastered organ transplantation techniques. Photo: Tien Phong.

It is a source of pride for Vietnamese medicine, but it also serves as a reminder that many patients are still waiting day and night for a miracle.

Currently, organ donations in Vietnam still primarily come from living donors, accounting for approximately 90% of all transplant cases. Meanwhile, donations from brain-dead donors – a source of organs that can save many lives simultaneously – remain very limited.

Every day, dozens of patients pass away before they can even wait for their turn for an organ transplant. Some people are just a word of consent from organ donation away from survival.

The establishment of May 20th as the National Day for Organ and Tissue Donation demonstrates the profound concern of the Party and the State for this special field of humanitarian medicine.

The Ministry of Health continues to develop and refine the draft Law amending and supplementing the Law on Donation, Procurement, and Transplantation of Human Tissues, Organs, and Bodies, and Donation and Procurement of Cadavers, with the aim of expanding the source of donations, perfecting the legal framework, and aligning with international practices.

After all the efforts to improve policies, expand the legal framework, or develop organ transplantation techniques, the core goal that the medical profession and society as a whole strive for remains preserving human life through love and sharing between people.

And so, perhaps, the ultimate limit of human life is not death, but the moment when the heart ceases to know how to love and share. A person may leave this world, but the life they give will continue to grow in another form, continue to gaze at the sky, continue to love, and continue to walk through this life. That is how humanity overcomes the limitations of human existence through compassion.

The bells of gratitude will fall silent, but many hearts will continue to speak. Perhaps in some hospital, a mother will be able to watch her child grow up thanks to a donated liver.

A young person will once again be able to run on healthy legs and breathe peacefully after months of desperate waiting. And somewhere, the donor's family will understand that their loved one never truly left, because a part of that life is still present in the world.

Source: https://znews.vn/nhung-hoi-chuong-tri-an-post1652670.html