Following in the footsteps of 14 brave-heart families this year, the family of a man from Himachal Pradesh who was declaed brain dead, gave the gift of life to two terminally ill patients and the gift of sight to two blind patients through organ donation.


 

On May 15, a 55-year old man sustained severe injuries after he slipped and had a fatal fall while working at a construction site. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, from where he was referred to the PGIMER here as he was found unresponsive to treatment. "The man was brought to the PGIMER in an extremely critical condition on May 16 and was being treated here," a spokesperson said.

Despite best efforts by doctors, the man's condition deteriorated and he was declared brain dead yesterday, he added. Disclosing details of the case, Dr Ashok Kumar, Acting Nodal Officer and Additional Professor, Department of Hospital Administration, PGIMER, said "after the declaration of the man as a brain dead patient, the transplant coordinators approached the family to consider the option of organ donation." With their consent, the donor was operated on to harvest his kidneys and corneas, which on transplantation, helped save the lives of two patients suffering from end-stage renal failure and restore sight of two patients suffering from corneal blindness, he added.

The donor's wife said, "We did not know anything about organ donation. But once we understood that our decision can help in saving many lives, we decided to go ahead. The only thought in our minds was that our decision may save other lives." "My father was a kind person. He did things for others because it made him feel good. Even in his death, he has done what he lived for by selflessly saving the lives of others. He will continue to live amongst us through them," the donor's son said while putting up a brave face amid his grief of losing his father.