Organ Donation At the Break Of Diwali Saves Six

Two families decided to donate the organs of their brain-dead family members and have given a new lease of life to six patients in Mumbai.

Thane resident Geeta Sonawane, aged 46, was in the midst of Diwali preparations when she complained of an excruciating headache. Her daughter Pranjal, a physiotherapist, recalled how her mother had spoken to relatives 30 minutes prior. "She went to bed thinking it would relieve her of the headache, but she went into a coma, never to return," the daughter said.

‘The organs of two women who were declared brain dead gave a new lease of life to six people.’

"We didn't want to waste her organs. We knew that it could save at least 2-3 lives," said Pranjal.

The liver was transplanted to a 59-year-old man at Shirur, Pune, and one of her kidneys was transplanted into a 51-year-old Andheri resident. The other kidney was allotted to Jaslok Hospital by the Zonal Transplant Coordination Committee (ZTCC).

In a similar incident, 51-year-old Kirti was found in an unconscious situation in her home in Kamothe. Despite repeated efforts, she could not be revived.

Pranav, her son, said, "We took her to a local hospital and shifted her to MGM Hospital after a few days. Here the doctors diagnosed that her veins had ruptured and there was massive bleeding inside her brain. She was also operated upon but her condition didn't improve. Towards the end, we shifted her to Apollo Hospital, Nerul, where she was declared brain dead."

After initial apprehensions, the family decided to donate her organs. Both her kidneys and heart could be harvested. The heart saved the life of a 50-year-old woman, a teacher in a civic institution, who was operated upon at Fortis Hospital, Mulund.

Source: Medindia