By
Tricitynews
Chandigarh 12th July:- In an exemplary
gesture, the parents of an 11 month-old baby from Sector 45, Chandigarh donated
his organs, giving a new lease of life to a terminally ill renal failure
patient here at PGIMER. This makes the baby the youngest donor in PGIMER’s
transplant history so far since the cadaver renal transplant program initiated
in 1996.
When the attending doctors broke the news to young
parents Geeta and Lakshman that their beloved son Pritam wouldn’t
pull through here at PGIMER, they knew they didn’t want his death to be in
vain. Grief stricken but brave-heart parents of angelic Pritam, said that it’s
something no family should have to go through. We said yes to Organ
Donation because we knew this could help some one else and they wouldn’t need
to go through the heartache that we were going through. We knew it
was the right thing to do.
Expressing his sentiments at the benevolent act of the
donor family, Prof. Jagat Ram, Director PGIMER stated that the latest
case of cadaver organ donation is an epitome of humanity and self-sacrifice on
many counts; the donor family being originally from Nepal, their resolute
spirit to see this transplant through despite braving the loss of
their little baby who was yet to celebrate his first birthday; PGIMER’s
determined efforts to honor the noble wish of the donor family and even civil
society’s wholehearted support for the financially broke and care
deprived recipient.
Further, while commending the efforts of the PGIMER team
involved in the process, the Director PGIMER shared that PGIMER’s team of
experts right from neuro-surgeons, pediatricians, intensivists, transplant
surgeons, transplant coordinators, complimented by the extended support from
testing labs and nursing units, has enabled this rare and landmark transplant
within a crunched time frame. But it was not possible to reach this far without
the reiteration of faith by the donor family, who always believed that come
what may, PGIMER would enable their son to re-live in others. One feels humbled
and honored by their trust reposed in the institution’s competence.
Prof. Ashish Sharma, Head Deptt. of Renal transplant
Surgery, PGIMER, detailing about the latest case shared that the case had
its own kinds of challenges. According to organ donation norms for babies under
the age of one, two confirmatory tests to declare a baby brain dead must have a
gap of 24 hours. So, it was a herculean task for the pediatricians and
intensitvists to maintain the donor infant through that time gap. Also, the
retrieval process of kidneys demanded extreme deftness and skill to accomplish
it successfully. Even, the transplant had its own difficulties as the best
matched recipient was an adult so both the kidneys had to be transplanted onto
one recipient considering the age factor. But it was the rock solid
determination of the donor family that pushed all of us to make it happen.
It was picture perfect moments for Geeta on 6th July. Her
11 month old cherubic son playing gleefully in his baby cot and she thoroughly
enjoying his every gesture, every movement till in a split second, the little
one rolled over and fell from the cot. Before Geeta could realize what had
happened, her little one had already become unconscious due to fatal head
injury.
The family immediately rushed the baby to Govt. Medical
College, Sector 32, Chandigarh from where the case was referred to PGIMER and
the infant was shifted here in PGIMER on 6th July itself.
Lakshman said that the incessant attempts to revive the
baby proved futile, as Pritam continued to remain on ventilator. Finally, when
the doctors called him and his wife Geeta, both of us instantly knew it was
terrible news. We can’t blame anyone but our own destiny.
Following the consent of the parents, the baby's kidneys
were retrieved and transplanted to an adult. Though the first
priority was pediatric recipients, however, the cross match identified an adult
recipient so both the kidneys were transplanted to the same patient in view of
the recipient’s age.
Prof. Vipin Koushal, Nodal Officer, ROTTO PGIMER, highlighting
the importance of community engagement in Organ Donation, said that it has been
observed that people generally seem convinced about the noble cause of Organ
Donation. But when it comes to pledging for Organ Donation, they
would put it off to another time. The right time is ‘NOW’. Your one
‘YES’ to organ donation may save many precious lives.
