Heart of gold: Family that earns their daily bread by collecting scrap chose to donate all organs of girl child

Pune: What can be seen as a humanitarian act and a perfect example for the society, a poor family that earns their daily bread by collecting scrap from various households and lives in a slum area chose to donate all possible organs of their eldest child who was just ten years old.

The family that lives in Pimpri Chinchwad’s Chikhali area, lost their girl child to a road traffic accident (RTA). The ten year old struggled to survive but lost her life only on Tuesday early morning.

As soon as Gita (name changed) met with an accident, she was rushed to Dr DY Patil hospital and research centre on October 24. However, she succumbed to the injuries on November 8.

Youngest donor at ZTCC Pune

Post her death, the family who was counselled by the hospital transplant coordinator Mayuri chose to donate all possible organs of the girl. And with this, Gita became Pune zone’s youngest donor so far, said Arati Gokhale, chief coordinator, ZTCC Pune.

Dr Sunil Rao, CEO of the hospital said, “The family earns their daily bread by collecting scrap from various households everyday. Being from a vulnerable group and being poverty stricken they chose to donate the organs and participate in such a humanitarian act which is commendable. They have set an example for the rest of the society with this act.”

Talking about the allocation of the organs, Gokhale informed that, the donor’s liver was allocated to Jupiter hospital, Pune, while Kidney was transferred to Command Hospital, Pune and heart was allocated to Fortis Hospital, Mulund, Mumbai.

Done as per the allocation criteria of ROTTO, SOTTO and NOTTO

“All this was done as per the allocation criteria of the regional organ and tissue transplant organisation (ROTTO), SOTTO and NOTTO,” said Gokhale.

Interestingly, the donor who was a female, saved lives the patients who all were females too, Gokhale said adding, “The heart that was sent to fortis hospital Mumbai, was transplanted in a one year old baby girl; while, the liver was transplanted in a seven year old female recipient. Gita also saved a chronic kidney patient who is of 37 year old admitted with command hospital where the kidney was successfully transplanted in her.”

So far, all the recipients who received the organs from the ten year old, are doing well and are stable. This is the 40th donation in Pune zone, ended Gokhale.

Published on: Tuesday, November 08, 2022, 10:14 PM IST