Organs of Ludhiana woman save life of two, give sight to two in Chandigarh
Organs from Ludhiana resident Pooja Arora, declared brain dead, saved 2 renal failure patients & gave sight to 2 blind patients at PGIMER.
Organs procured from a 45-year-old Ludhiana resident gave a new lease of life to two terminally ill renal failure patients and ‘gift of sight’ to two corneal blind patients at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).
The donor, Pooja Arora was admitted to PGIMER on June 18, in a critical condition on account of intraventricular giant tumour. Despite efforts, she could not be saved and was declared brain dead on June 26 by the brain stem death committee, following the protocols of THOA.
Deceased Pooja Arora’s husband, Jagdish Arora, decided to donate her organs. “It was a very tough call but still we felt it was the right call,” stated Jagdish Arora, a businessman in garments trading from Ludhiana after consenting for organ donation.
The deceased’s eldest daughter--Manya Arora, accompanied by her younger siblings, sister Aarvi and brother Anhad, shared her sentiments, “Our mother was the heart of our family. With organ donation, she has given others the chance to experience the love and joy she always brought into our lives.”
Prof Vipin Koushal, medical Superintendent, PGIMER & nodal officer, ROTTO (North) said, “Following the family’s consent, doctors at the PGIMER initiated the process of procurement of organs. After thorough assessment, both 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.”
A 23-year-old female patient from Ganga Nagar, Rajasthan, turned lucky to get simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant and the second kidney was transplanted to a 25-year-old male from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Both patients were admitted in PGIMER.
Before the transplants, both the matching recipients were suffering from the last stage of debilitating kidney ailment and had been dependent on dialysis for long.
PGIMER director Prof Vivek Lal said, “The decision of Pooja Arora’s family to donate her organs during such a difficult time is an unthinkable act of kindness, highlighting the impact and importance of organ donation. Her family’s strength and altruism are deeply admirable and resonate with the core values we uphold at PGIMER.”