On the morning of 1st May 2025, a 37-year-old man was rushed to Manipal Hospital following a brain hemorrhage and rapid loss of consciousness. He was managed in ICU and placed on ventilatory support. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, he was declared brain dead on 12th May 2025. He is survived by his wife and a 9-year-old child.
Despite the unimaginable grief, his wife, made the courageous and selfless decision to donate all his organs, duly supported by her family and counseling team. The liver and both kidneys were retrieved and allocated by NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization) while the heart and lungs were deemed unfit for transplant. The liver was transplanted into a 61-year-old male and one kidney into a 52-year-old male, both at HCMCT Manipal Hospital, Dwarka. The second kidney was transplanted into a 59-year-old female at another private hospital in Delhi.
Dr. Shrikanth Srinivasan, Chairman, Manipal Institute of Critical Care Medicine, “Despite the best efforts of the treating team, the patient’s condition did not improve and was declared brain dead on 12th May 2025. Despite the profound loss, the family made the courageous decision to donate his organs, offering a gift of life to those in need. Their strength and compassion in such a difficult time is truly inspiring and serves as a powerful reminder of the impact one life can have on many.”
Dr. (Col) Avnish Seth VSM, Head, Manipal Organ Sharing & Transplant (MOST), said, “Organ donation should be an essential component of end-of-life care. Only if the family is fully convinced that their loved one succumbed despite the best possible treatment, will they consider doing something for others. Trust is an important component. Transparency in allocation of organs as per waiting list, like it is being done in our country by NOTTO, gives lot of confidence the family to arrive at the correct decision. This altruistic gesture by the family has saved three lives and this is the true spirit of humanity. He will live-on.”
There remains a wide gap between patients who need transplants and the organs that are available in India. Around 1.8 lakh people suffer from kidney failure every year, however, only 13,426 kidney transplants were performed in 2023. An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 liver transplants are needed annually in India, but only 4491 were performed in 2023. Similarly, out of several thousand people suffering from heart failure, only 221 received a heart transplant. In the case of corneas, about 25,000 transplants are performed annually against a requirement of 1 lakh.
This noble act of organ donation highlights the pressing need for organ donations in India, as there is a significant disparity between patients awaiting transplants and the availability of organs. Increasing awareness and participation in organ donation can bridge this gap and offer hope to countless lives in need.
