Organ recipient turns organ donor

A 48-year-old male who was undergoing years of dialysis and was waiting for kidney transplant has turned into an organ donor saving others lives at a hospital here.

Rajesh, hailing from Madhya Pradesh, was undergoing five years of dialysis was in the list of kidney transplant recipients waiting for suitable match. However, his father Mr. Ram Singh, 70, decided to donate his kidney knowing the risks associated with his age. With everything arranged and the donor prepared, the surgery was scheduled at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital under Dr. AK Bhalla, Chairman and HoD Nephrology, for March 8th, 2024.

However, just days before the planned procedure, Mr Rajesh suffered a severe brain stroke due to hypertension condition. The medical evaluation revealed a substantial intracranial bleed left brain, causing a significant midline shift, which led to a grim prognosis despite surgical evacuation of blood collection in the brain. Amidst his despair, his father along with his wife took the decision to donate his organs. After an excruciating wait, Rajesh was declared brain dead on March 13, 2024, leaving his family shattered.

Following assessments, his heart and liver were deemed suitable for donation. Given the narrow three-hour window for a heart transplant, Delhi Traffic Police organized a Green corridor from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital to the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Waiting at the airport tarmac was a chartered plane ready to transport his heart to MGM Hospital in Chennai. His liver found its recipient in a patient battling liver cirrhosis, registered since 2022. The liver transplant was done by Dr Ushast Dhir, Director, Dept of Liver Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.