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As a gift, there can be none more generous than life itself. Although the creation of said life is something altogether different, the ability to extend or improve a persons quality or length of living is something we would all look favorably upon if given the chance to help another human being. In this particular instance, the organ donation service may not be saving lives but they can certainly improve them when dealing with eye related conditions and diseases. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, those in need within the Asian community can find such gifts very hard to find.
It might come as some surprise, and a contradiction to a certain famous saying from Animal Farm, but we as humans are not all equal, speaking statistically at least. It is well documented that the occurrence of donation required diseases is three times more frequent in a person from an Asian community than those from a Caucasian background. This need can include eyes as well as hearts, livers and other organs.
So with this increased need, surely awareness is higher? Apparently not. One of the main factors that affects a person agreeing to organ donation upon death is that of faith or religion. As it stands, their are a number of Asian based faiths that openly support an individuals right to choose whether or not they wish to participate including, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism. The main grey area is that of Muslim Law or Shariah. It is a common misconception that the religion or faith does not allow under any circumstance the donation or receipt of any organ for whatever reason, dating back to the idea of being physically intact upon death and their beliefs in regard to what happens to them spiritually at this point. However, it is worth noting that the Muslim Law Council released a fatwa allowing Muslims to agree to organ donation upon death.
Of course religion or faith aside, this is an incredibly personal decision and comes down to that individuals choice at the end of day. However this generous and brave choice can lead invariably to the lengthening of another persons life, and through other means such as the donation of your eyes and corneas, a vast improvement in someone else's quality of life for many years to come.