In a touching article of The Star Online, a mother of four received a new lease of life when she was blessed with a new heart from a donor, replacing her mechanical heart which she had been using for a year.

Former air stewardess Tan Geek Koon, 41, whose heart failed after she gave birth to her fourth child in September last year, underwent heart transplant at the National Heart Institute in an operation led by the chief cardio­thoracic surgeon Datuk Dr Mohd Azhari Yakub and cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Mohd Nazeri Nordin on Tuesday.

According to reports, the donor was a teenager who was declared brain-dead after an accident…creepy coincidence but nevertheless, it was a blessing in disguise for Tan Geek Koon who was to receive the heart in the successful transplant. The surgery started at 4pm after the organ was brought to IJN from Hospital Ipoh via a Royal Malaysian Air Force mercy helicopter flight.

IJN said in a statement the heart transplant was successful, adding that Tan was now awake and fully conscious after being taken off the ventilator at 1.40pm on Wednesday. “IJN would like to thank the donor family for making this precious gift possible to help our patient,’’ it said.

Tan had suffered a stroke in June, a risk from using the mechanical heart.

The boy, who had yet to sit for his Chemistry and Chinese papers in the SPM examination, was cremated in Kampar yesterday. His parents reportedly said their son was supposed to have met up with friends last Saturday but was involved in a road accident at 9pm.

Either way, this touching story shows that there is still hope for the people of Malaysia, when there are still some who are sincere and caring enough to share a “life” with another, and the parents turned the tragedy of their son’s death into a life-saving deed in honour of his spirit, while blessing Tan with a good life to look forward to with a young and healthy heart.