Good Deeds

We're constantly reminded to do good, and of the plight of those less fortunate than us. Celebrities use their star power to influence the public to lend a helping hand. The rich makes anonymous donations to charity. But how many of us actually go the extra mile to do good and help the needy? 


I find that I often question myself if I could be more generous, or more caring towards others. I donated blood for the first time last year and it was a good experience; donating blood is a simple gesture that takes very little to save a lot of lives. According to the NST, only 3% of Malaysians donated blood in 2 yrs. You may refer to the National Blood Bank on how you can help. 

Organ donation is another pledge I've yet to make; personally I've no qualms about donating my organs to others, the only thing holding me back is that there may be other stakeholders, ie my future husband, children etc. It's still something I'm pondering ever since the National Transplant Resource Centre organized an awareness drive at the company. I feel that Malaysians should address that lack of organ donors is a serious issue and if we can help out, we should. Organ trafficking and black market transactions is an on-going problem;  read the TIME's article dated 2008 about India's Black Market Organ Scandal. 

Have you heard of hair donation? I was inspired by The Star's article on Jane Wong who donates her hair to the Little Princess Trust in Britain. I've yet to find a similar foundation in Malaysia but I got a colleague and another colleague's daughter to donate their locks. They received certificates from the same Trust. Locks of Love is another organization to donate hair to. These organizations use the hair to create real hair wigs for children suffering from hair loss due to medical reasons, such as cancer treatment. Most wigs are either synthetic or made from hair sold by individuals. I've never grown my hair long before so this is a truly noble cause to let my hair reach at least 7" :)

These are some of the causes I'm dedicated to. I plan to do more, and if I find a cause that speaks to me, I'll go for it. Take a minute to think about what you have, what other people don't have and how you can help. Good deeds never hurt.