Valentine's Day being considered by many people as a day for romance, a vital human organ - the heart - has become the symbol of this red-letter day. Thus, it is not unusual for lovers to say that in affirming their love for one another, they give their hearts to each other.

However, it is only a figure of speech because one cannot literally do that and live to survive because humans have only one heart. But the human body has some parts that comes in pair that a generous person can donate one organ to a loved one, or even to a total stranger, as a manifestation of the highest form of love.

Such is the case for Ohio couple, Melissa Degesso-Jones and husband John, who has renal failure. In show of her love, Melissa had surgery on Monday and donated one of her kidneys to John.

"There wasn't any reservation, or never did I ever fathom the idea I wouldn't be . . . That's the funny part, I never thought, 'Oh, what if I don't match? I just assumed I would," Global post quoted Mrs Jones.

Nine years ago, a similar gift of love was made by young Filipino actor Miko Sotto who fell to his death in December 2003 from his 9th floor condominium unit. Hours after the tragic accident, his corneas were removed at the Makati Medical Center and donated by his mother, actress Ali Sotto, to the Eye Bank Foundation.

In June 2004, Jonalyn de la Pena, a 20-year-old housemaid, recovered her eye sight courtesy of Miko's cornea. Because of the act of kindness which received media attention by virtue of the mother and son being celebrities and belonging to a showbiz clan, more Filipinos followed the example resulting in the foundation receiving corneal donations by the first quarter of 2004 the same number it got for the whole of 2003.

Australians have an opportunity to replicate similar acts of kindness, not necessarily by risking the loss of a vital body organ while still alive, but by signing up with the country's organ donor register.

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