27/10/2026
We are profoundly moved to share this deeply reflective piece written by Bao Anh Nguyen, looking back on the experience of being on the lung transplant waitlist.
Please take a moment to pause, reflect, and read the full poem below.
𝗦𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀
The pair of suitcases sits suggestively beside the front door, a symbol that a getaway imminently awaits. But as the days go by, the neatly packed luggage stays in place, untouched and yet to accompany a would-be traveller on their trip, neither for business nor pleasure.
Those days quickly become months and the months soon turn into a full year. And other than some movement amidst the household’s shuffle on the odd occasion or two, the suitcases stubbornly remain at their station, a taunting reminder to their owner that their plans have yet to come to materialise.
But suddenly, in the early hours of the morning, they receive the call. And finally, the hour those suitcases were packed and prepared for is upon them. They move with purpose and without haste, sweeping the once statuesque suitcases in frenzied excitement, as their journey finally begins in a frantic rush to the airport.
The airline staff usher them quickly to the front of the line for priority boarding, as fellow travellers watch on, a mix of curious and envious stares. After they are seated, the flight attendants check in on them once again; drawing further gazes from onlookers, silently wondering, speculating on their station and importance. Who are these mystery guests?
They’ve travelled together many times before, but never like this, not for neither business nor for pleasure. They're surrounded by families, couples, and people travelling solo, sharing little else but a destination in common. What's the purpose of your visit?
They gather their belongings, disembark the plane and make their way out of the airport and onward to their destination. But this time they won't be checking into a hotel or a resort, or welcomed as houseguests by a friend or relative with a spare room for their stay. No, this time, it’s a hospital, because this trip isn't for the chance to escape the monotony of everyday life, but the chance to continue to live another day.
Now they never look at travel the same. Every time they board a plane, as they survey the faces of their fellow travellers, they become the onlooker who wonders. They wonder if any of these passengers are on a journey of hope.
What's the purpose of your visit?
- 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘺 𝘉𝘢𝘰 𝘈𝘯𝘩 𝘕𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘦𝘯
