Showing exemplary spirit in the midst of their own tragedy, four families who lost their kin in different road accidents helped give a new lease of life to nine critically-ill patients and sight to four others through organ donation.
These families consented to donate organs of their loved ones during the last four days here at Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).
"This magnanimous gesture of these courageous families helped saving the lives of nine critically ill patients and also enabled four visually impaired people have their eye-sight restored," PGIMER said in a statement here today.
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The statement said Shivani (20) from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh sustained grave head injuries after falling from her husband's motorcycle on January 31. After initial treatment at a local hospital, she was admitted to PGIMER on February 1.
But the injury being so grave, Shivani could not be saved and was declared brain dead on February 3. Following the consent of her family for cadaver donation, the deceased was able to save three lives with the transplantation of her retrieved liver and kidneys, and enabled restoration of sight of two people with cornea donation, it said.
"Raj Kumar, her husband, at a loss to come to terms with his own tragedy, still showed this large-hearted gesture to save others," the statement said.
In another incident, Devender (21) from Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh lost balance after his motorcycle was hit by a bus.
"As a result, Devender fell on the road receiving serious head injury. Admitted in PGIMER on January 30, Devender could not be retrieved and was finally declared brain dead on February 2. Showing exceptional courage, his family consented for organ donation, thereby, saving the lives of two terminally ill patients suffering from kidney ailment.
Sudhir Kumar (40) from Dadu Majra Colony in Chandigarh
was seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident, the statement said.
"Though the family rushed him to PGIMER without losing any time, Kumar succumbed to injuries and was declared brain dead on February 4. With his family's consent for organ donation his kidneys were retrieved and allocated for two critical patients at Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi," it said
"In Kumar's case, eyeing the back-to-back donations, it was difficult to have transplantation at PGIMER. The institute's Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO) approached the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Programme and accordingly with latter's intervention, the kidneys were retrieved," the statement said.
The team from Safdarjung Hospital was handed over the organs and the transplantation took place in the hospital, yesterday," it said.
In another incident, Sourabh (18) from Naraingarh in Haryana, the bread earner of his family, was killed after his motorcycle was hit by a bus.
"He was grievously injured and was declared brain dead on February 4. Despite their unbearable and irreparable loss, Sourabh's mother consenting to donate his organs. His retrieved kidneys gave life to two patients and his cornea sight to two," the PGIMER statement said.
Nodal Officer ROTTO PGIMER Dr Vipin Koushal said, "There cannot be anything more heroic than saving a life. Cadaver donors and their families are truly a blessing".
"All the four donor families are not only from four different states but also very diverse culturally. But what unites them all is their 'spirit of giving' and their generosity without barriers, without bounds," he said.
