Sai Gaurav (21), an M. Tech student of Andhra University, was declared brain dead following a road accident at MVP Colony on February 8, this year. Overcoming their personal grief, his parents decided to donate his organs to alleviate the sufferings of others.
Accidents
Road accidents are resulting in at least one person suffering brain death in every four minutes in the country. Harvesting of their organs like heart and liver could save at least 50 % of the end-stage heart and kidney disease patients besides giving a new lease of life to several other patients looking for organ donors.
“My son was aware of organ donation and had even pledged to donate his eyes. When the Jeevandan team approached us, we readily agreed as our only son had always wanted to be of help to others even after death. Today, he is alive in six other people, who had received his organs,” Gaurav’s father GVB Sudhakar, Branch Manager of the Syndicate Bank branch at MVP Colony, said trying to conceal his grief.
Manisha, Gaurav’s sister, said: “My brother gave a new lease of life to six persons. Two years ago, when his friend was declared brain dead, the Jeevandan team approached his family but they had declined to donate his organs. My brother had disapproved of their action, while recalling the incident.”
“Transplantation of organs will enable the deceased to live through someone else after death. Lack of awareness among the general public is leading to apprehensions. Jeevandan organisation should also spread the message that organ donation is legal and that the donated organs would be utilised properly,” she said.
B. Kanaka Raju, a welder, died after falling from a height at work, at Health City in April this year. “We donated his two kidneys and liver,” said his sister B. Lakshmi.
“We have motivated 164 persons to pledge their organs in the last three years. We retrieved 212 kidneys, 101 livers, 37 hearts and 34 lungs,” Dr. G. Krishna Murthy, CEO, Jeevandan, AP, said.
Published - June 28, 2018 01:06 am IST
