Medical professionals donate organs of son

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 18

A family of medical professionals from Himachal Pradesh not only gave a new lease of life to three patients and hope to two others when they donated the liver, kidneys and corneas of their beloved 14-year-old son but also set an example for others to emulate.

The liver and kidneys were transplanted onto three patients at the PGI while the retrieved corneas would enable two more people to have their sight restored soon.

Not wishing to be named, deceased Ashit’s (name changed) parents said, “Despite being a family of medical professionals, we could not save our son. No words can convey our remorse and agony. With organ donation, at least we will be able to save someone else the pain and trauma of losing their children.”

The family said it wasn’t tough for them to make the decision. “Donating Ashit’s organs was like an extension of him. The boy had always gone out of his way to show kindness and compassion to others. Even at this tender age of 14, Ashit always used to be the first one to help others and even in his death, he has done the same,” said the father.

Recalling the fateful day of January 12, he narrated how quickly a regular work day changed into unexpected tragedy as he and his wife were at work, and Ashit was at home with his elder sister, who called him around noon to tell that Ashit was complaining of a headache and was vomiting.

When he arrived home, he found Ashit almost unconscious.  Ashit was rushed to the PGI on January 12. However, destiny had something else in store and Ashit had a seizure. As the blood flow to the brain had been cut off for too long, ultimately Ashit was declared brain dead on January 15.

“Knowing that Ashit’s life will go on in others and will give them more days with their families is so rewarding,” said Ashit’s mother.

Detailing about the case, Dr Vipin Koushal, Nodal Officer, ROTTO, PGI, shared, “As Ashit’s parents wanted his heart to beat in someone else, it became our moral duty to respect their wish. Having no matching donor at the PGI, we immediately got in touch with NOTTO to explore options with other transplant hospitals for a matching donor. Despite NOTTO’s incessant efforts to explore with hospitals up to Mumbai and Chennai to find a matching donor, the heart could not be used as time at hand was too short and there being no flight at that particular time for the destination where the matching donor was finally found. It is an extremely hard decision, but families like these instil a sense of confidence. It is through their generous gifts that hundreds of people each year are given a second chance at life,” Dr Koushal added.