This Pongal, the family of M. Sridhar (31), an autorickshaw driver from Kancheepuram, suffered a great loss, but still found the strength to give a new lease of life to six people.
On the day of Kaanum Pongal (January 17), Mr. Sridhar was heading home to celebrate the festival with his wife and two-year-old son, when his autorickshaw overturned and he suffered a severe head injury.
He was then rushed to the Kancheepuram Government Hospital and from there, referred to MIOT International.
At 10 p.m. on Sunday, doctors informed his family that he was brain dead.
His family took the decision to use Sridhar’s organs to help others in need and agreed to donate them.
His heart was donated to a 36-year-old woman, and MIOT performed their maiden heart transplant. His liver was donated to a 31-year-old man and a kidney given to an 18-year-old youth.
All three surgeries took place at midnight on Sunday.
The corneas were sent to Sankara Nethralaya, and the other kidney to Global Hospital.