Brain dead youth gives new lease of life to four

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 19

A family from Majri village in Roopnagar district, Punjab, overcame an unbearable heartache of losing their 26-year-old son, Raj Kumar, for a greater cause. The aggrieved family turned the tragedy into a precious gift with their “Spirit of giving” for four hapless patients with transplantation of pancreas, kidneys and corneas at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).

Prof Jagat Ram, Director, PGIMER, while paying homage to the donor, said, “Our mission is to honour the donor family’s decision, perhaps the hardest and incredibly moving one of their lives of organ donation of their dear one. Our hearts go out to donor families, like the family of Raj Kumar and we thank them for their gracious gift to others amid their own tragedy.”

On September 14, Raj Kumar, who worked in a private factory, suffered severe head injures in a head-on-collision with another motorcycle.

Initially rushed to District Hospital, Una, Raj Kumar was brought to the PGIMER in an extremely serious condition on September 16. However, the donor finally succumbed to his injuries and was declared brain dead on September 17.

The transplant coordinator approached the family of Raj Kumar to request if they could consider organ donation to save lives of others.

Even in this darkest hour, Rakj Kumar’s mother Pushpa Devi showed exceptional courage by consenting to donate the organs of her son.

Pushpa said, “Our son was our pride, our purpose, our very life force. Last year, I lost my husband battling with cancer. Now, the family is confronted with this bolt from the blue. My other son is disabled. Raj Kumar was the lifeline of family.”

She said, “Through organ donation, I want my son’s memory to live on. I just want the world to know that I am proud of him. Despite losing his own life, he saved others. His legacy will live on by helping four others.” Following the family’s decision for organ donation, transplant surgeons retrieved pancreas and kidneys from the donor, which on transplantation, gave second chance of life to two terminally ill renal failure patients. Another two would get the gift of sight with the transplantation of harvested corneas.