Arvind Gupta lost his seven-day-old grandson on March 7. “My tears refuse to stop. Sometimes I feel like my heart will burst. I can’t even begin to explain the sadness my son and his wife are going through. But, I guess in the circle of life we are here to do good and pass on,” said Mr. Gupta.
Joy short-lived
The family took the brave but noble decision to donate the body of the newborn, who died of a heart attack, to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
The infant was born to Suraj and Aanchal Gupta at Max Hospital, Patparganj on March 1. Their joy, however, was short-lived as a few hours later they were told of a problem with their baby’s arteries.
‘Good deeds live on’
“He was my first child. Through this act, we’ve ensured that death isn’t the end. His life will give hope to many children born with the same or similar condition. A good deed lives on forever,” said Suraj.
Mr. Arvind Gupta broke down several times while speaking to The Hindu on Thursday.
“Our noble gesture comes from my father’s belief that even our dead body should be useful. If nothing else, it should at least feed birds and insects. After my grandson’s body grew silent, I told my son and his wife that we could either go the traditional way or ensure that the body is used to teach doctors how to save lives. We agreed that my grandson’s birth should not go in vain. In his short life, he fulfilled his mission on Earth,” he said.
“But, I wish God had been kinder to us,” the grandfather sobbed.
“The family shifted the child to AIIMS. On the seventh day, the baby underwent an open-heart surgery that went on for six hours. The doctors tried their best, but the child could not survive. The infant died 45 minutes after the surgery. That is when Arvind called us and said that the family would like to donate the infant’s body for research at AIIMS,” said Alok Kumar of Delhi-based NGO Dadhichi Deh Dan Samiti.
The family donated the body despite opposition from relatives. “We had made up our mind. We had decided to donate the body to the Anatomy Department at AIIMS for the purpose of medical education with help from the Dadhichi Deh Dan Samiti,” said Mr. Gupta.
Gesture welcome
Welcoming the gesture, Balram Airan of AIIMS said: “The body donation procedure was completed by 11.30 p.m. on March 7. This gift is precious as the infant suffered from a peculiar cardiac situation, which will teach our students about the complex issues of human anatomy. Arvind’s family has showed great courage and fortitude at a time of distress.”
