His organs go to five people

His organs go to five people

SINGAPORE - He had pledged to donate his organs as far back as 1988 - before he got married. A freak accident at a car workshop last Saturday allowed lorry driver Steven Yit to fulfil this commitment.

Mr Yit, 55, was at Aik Koon Tyre & Battery Co, a motor repair workshop in Upper Jurong, having a flat tyre fixed.

Suddenly, the tyre of another car at the workshop burst and sent pieces of metal from the wheel flying, reported Lianhe Wanbao.

A piece flew 5m, hitting Mr Yit on the head and cracking his skull.

He was rushed to the National University Hospital (NUH), but he died six days later, on Aug 9, without regaining consciousness.

The New Paper understands that Mr Yit's skin, kidneys, corneas, respiratory trachea, liver and heart valves were harvested.

He had, 25 years ago, signed The Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act (MTERA), an optin scheme, where people can pledge their organs or other body parts for the purposes of transplant, education or research after they die.

Flat tyre

Mr Yit was halfway on his delivery route on the morning of the accident when the lorry he was driving had a flat tyre.

His 44-year-old widow told Lianhe Wanbao that while waiting for his lorry, her husband had been standing near a car being repaired when there was a loud sound.

TNP learnt that Mr Yit's corneas, kidneys and liver went to five patients in need of a transplant. When approached, NUH declined to comment, citing patients' confidentiality.

The motor repair workshop Aik Koon confirmed there was an accident last Saturday, but the owner declined to give details.

An employee there, however, told Wanbao that Mr Yit had driven a white lorry into the workshop for repairs.

"I saw the iron parts smack him in the head and then he fell to the ground," said the employee, who declined to give his name.

Police are investigating the incident.

Mr Yit was his family's main breadwinner, earning $2,000 a month.

His widow is now worried about their children - a 12-year-old daughter and a 14-year-old son - and living expenses.

But Ms Foo, a manager of the metal manufacturing company where Mr Yit had worked for the last two and a half years, said the company will be providing the necessary financial assistance.

"Everyone has a part to play in the company. We are a team and Steven was part of that team," she told TNP.

juditht@sph.com.sg


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