The untimely and tragic death of Jagat Singh, 45 years from village Maloty, district Sirmour is beyond comprehension and extremely difficult to reconcile. The deceased was grievously injured because of a fall from height and was rushed to PGIMER on 2nd April. But as the luck would have it, the fervent prayers of the family and friends and best of the medical attention proved futile as Jagat Singh was declared brain dead on 5th April.
In another case, the picture perfect life of Nancy Sharma, 32 years from Paonta Sahib came to a sudden end after she lost her battle with life, following a cardiac arrest and long struggle on ventilator for 24 days. The incessant efforts of the doctors and family could not change the will of the Almighty and Nancy was declared brain dead on 5th April.
Showcasing an exemplary courage and magnanimity, the families of both Jagat Singh and Nancy Sharma did not let these tragic deaths go in vain and consented for organ donation when the transplant coordinators raised the matter with them.
Following their consent, the process of the retrieval of the organs was initiated. As there were no matching recipients for heart and liver here in PGIMER, Regional Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO) PGIMER approached National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) in Delhi and accordingly with NOTTO’s intervention, retrieved heart of the deceased Jagat Singh was allocated to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi for the matching recipient and was sent from PGIMER at 6.38 am through a green corridor for International Airport from where it was airlifted for its destination in New Delhi. The liver of the deceased Jagat Singh, allocated to GB Pant Hospital in New Delhi, was taken by the concerned team from PGIMER for the airport at 8.30 am in the morning. The heart of the second deceased Nancy Sharma was shared with a matching recipient in Fortis Noida as per the allocation by NOTTO and was sent at 11.22 am from PGIMER for a chartered flight to Fortis NOIDA.
Following this, the kidneys retrieved from both the deceased, through transplantation enabled second lease of life to four patients battling for survival here in PGIMER. The corneas of both the deceased will be used for four patients in PGIMER, thereby giving them sight and impacting their lives.
“My son has lost his mother at an age when he needed her the most. Hope my decision for organ donation helps some children turn lucky and save their mothers. This will be our biggest tribute to her.” stated brave heart Anudeep Sharma, husband of the deceased Nancy, while trying to control his emotions.
The same sentiment was echoed by courageous wife Jaswanti Devi of deceased Jagat Singh,“We are devastated by his loss. No words can convey the remorse. With organ donation, at least I will be able to save someone else the pain and trauma of losing their dear ones. He always used to be the first one to help others and even in his death, he has done the same. He is our hero.”
Prof. Anil K Gupta, MS & HoD, Deptt. Of Hospital Administration, PGIMER paying his tribute to the deceased, stated, “Words cannot describe the self-less gesture of both the families. Their spirit of giving has touched every one. We are overwhelmed by their exemplary and altruistic gesture to have taken the decision to save others’ lives despite themselves facing the gravest tragedies. They have taught all of us a lesson in humanity and magnanimity.”
Dr.Vipin Koushal, Nodal officer, ROTTO PGIMER detailing about the cadaver organ donation, shared, “Time being the critical factor, a synergized and well coordinated effort by PGIMER made sure that the sentiments of the family are honoured. With NOTTO’s proactive intervention, the organs were airlifted as soon as these were retrieved. In all the three cases, green corridors were created from PGIMER to International Airport with active cooperation and liasoning of PGI security, UT Administration and Police. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to accomplish this task. This is PGIMER’s small tribute to both the families’ magnanimous gesture.”