In life so benevolent, in death so generous

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 6

Ashok Kumar (52), owner of Kumar Rasoi, a food joint in Sector 37, Chandigarh, had a smile that was contagious and a heart that was bigger than he was. An entrepreneur par excellence, Kumar was not only known for his business acumen but equally well known for his benevolent spirit and philanthropic works.

“My father was a very giving person. He always felt it was his duty to come to someone’s help. He was the epitome of philanthropy who used to donate clothes, provide food to the needy on a daily basis and also give regular donations for the last rites of the poor. In addition, he had been organising blood donation camps on December 15 every year since 1995,” said Ankush, son of the deceased with tears rolling down his cheeks. 

It was on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday on December 2 that Kumar complained of dizziness and severe headache. When he fell down due to an ischemic stroke, his family rushed him to a private hospital without losing any time, from where he was brought to the PGI on the afternoon of December 3. 

 PGI doctors said they met twice to decide about the case and at around 5 pm on December 5, Kumar was declared brain dead. 

“Everything came crashing down. Then the transplant coordinators at the PGI talked to us about organ donation. The idea of having a chance to save someone else’s life appealed to us — even though we didn’t want to take him off life support,” remembers Ankush.

“Then we asked ourselves what he would have wished, and consented to the donation of his organs. My father definitely would have wanted someone’s father, husband, wife, mother, daughter  or son to have more time to spend with their loved ones,” said the braveheart son.  After the family’s consent, the doctors harvested the kidneys and corneas for transplantation on four in-waiting patients. 

Rajinder Kalra, general secretary, Thalassaemic Children Welfare Association, recalling his 30-year-old association with the family, shared how Kumar contributed to the cause of thalassaemic children by helping the NGO organise voluntary blood donation camps since 1995. “Even in his death, he has done what he lived for,” said Kalra.

Dr Vipin Koushal, Nodal Officer, ROTTO, PGI, stated, “Through its magnanimous gesture, the family of Kumar has conveyed a very strong message to pledge for organ donation. That would turn the balance of organ donation in a huge way. The role of the entire hospital team involved right from brain death declaration to retrieval and transplantation is extremely critical. But consent for organ donation is the bedrock.”