Organ donation: Brain dead woman gives new lease of life to four at PGI

Chandigarh, June 30

The PGIMER witnessed another story of exemplary ‘spirit of giving’ as the brave heart Arora family from Ludhiana immortalised the life and legacy of their deceased dear one, Pooja Arora, through the noble act of organ donation. Their benevolent gesture impacted four lives, including two terminally ill renal failure patients with the ‘gift of life’ and two corneal blind patients with the ‘gift of sight’ following the transplantation of both kidneys, pancreas and corneas.

Pooja, a resident of Ludhiana, a wife and mother, was admitted to the PGIMER on June 18 in a critical condition on account of intraventricular giant tumour. Despite the efforts of doctors, she could not be saved and was declared brain dead on June 26.

In the meantime, transplant coordinators at the PGIMER apprised the deceased’s relatives of prospects of utilising her organs through donation for transplants to terminally ill organ failure patients.

Despite his profound grief, Pooja’s aggrieved husband Jagdish Arora made the courageous decision to donate her organs, turning their personal tragedy into a second lease of life for others.

“It was a very tough call but still we felt it was the right decision,” said Jagdish, who is into garments business, after giving consent for organ donation.

Prof Vipin Koushal, Medical Superintendent, PGIMER, and nodal officer, Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO), said, “Following the family’s consent, doctors at the PGIMER initiated the process of procurement of organs. After thorough assessment, kidneys, pancreas and corneas were found fit for transplantation and were harvested. Simultaneously, different series of tests like cross-matching were conducted to determine the compatibility with the intended recipients.”

“In our darkest hour, we found light in Pooja’s unending compassion. She was a beacon of kindness and love in our lives, and through her donation, she continues to be a beacon of hope for others. Her selflessness has turned our grief into a source of pride, knowing she has saved lives,” said Jagdish.

A 23-year-old female patient from Ganganagar, Rajasthan, got pancreas and kidney transplant and the second kidney was transplanted to a 25-year-old male patient from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Both the patients were admitted in the PGIMER. Before transplant, both the matching recipients were suffering from the last stage of debilitating kidney ailment and had been dependent on dialysis for long. The retrieved corneas, on transplantation, restored the sight of two corneal blind patients at the PGIMER.