Be A Organ Donor! If Shanti D’Souza’s Family Can Do It, Why Not You?
Shanti D’Souza, aged 40 of Bengaluru who recently after a freak two-wheeler accident was left brain dead, the doctors treating on her counselled her husband Benedict and her family to donate her organs- and the family agreed- and now seven persons got a new lease of life from her organs. Even though Shanti’s husband and family are still bereaving by her sudden death, but their decision to donate her organs has saved seven people- Right now six families are thankful to Shanti for giving new life to their loved ones. Team Mangalorean commend Benedict for being a Good Samaritan through this noble gesture and generous decision.
Mangaluru: Here is a very emotional story, where Shanti D’Souza aged 40, who had worked as a nurse at Columbia Asia Hospital, Bengaluru, a resident of Dasarahalli, Peenya in Bengaluru, who was married to Benedict D’Souza for more than two years, met with a tragic death when she was involved in a freak two-wheeler accident, on March 10, 2018. Shanti who was seriously injured in that accident was immediately admitted to Saptagiri Hospital for treatment, where the doctors performed an emergency operation for the head trauma. But unfortunately, the operation was unsuccessful and the doctors declared her “brain dead.”
The doctors then approached her husband Benedict and counselled him and the family if they were agreeing to donate Shanti organs- which Benedict and the family members agreed wholeheartedly. From Saptagiri hospital, Shanti was shifted to Columbia Asia Hospital, the place she worked as a nurse, for harvesting the organs. A team of doctors from Columbia Asia Hospital, Narayana Hrudalaya and St John’s Medical College, after completing the necessary procedures harvested six organs of Shanti for harvesting. Seven patients received these organs-the liver was transplanted in two patients. Shanti’s heart was transplanted in a 40-year-old lady from Kolkata.
Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Benedict D’Souza who said although he was heartbroken to lose his beloved wife, but at the same time, he said he was happy that his wife’s organs have given new life to seven persons, and also has made seven families happy. Through Mangalorean.com, Benedict wanted to bring awareness of Organ donation and wanted people to know that how precious is “Organ Donation” when someone is in desperate need of it.
‘Heaven’ does not need organs but millions of people will have a fresh lease of life with the organs donated by ‘Brain Dead” patients making ‘Heaven on Earth” for them- and being a ‘Cadaver Donor’ is highly appreciated. A cadaver donor is a person who makes the decision to donate his or her body after death for the sake of scientific experiment and discovery, or for organ harvesting. Medical schools are perhaps the most common institutions to accept a cadaver donor, though private institutions may accept some donations as well. Hospitals may accept cadavers if some of the organs or tissue can be used for medical purposes. Frequently, the person must give consent to become a cadaver donor before he or she dies, though, in some situations, the next of kin can grant the permission for the donation even if the deceased person did not grant permission before death.
What is brain dead? If a person with head injury, where all the organs function normally except the brain stem (an irreversible condition) is neurologically defined as “brain dead”. Their heart beats but the lungs need to be expanded by mechanical ventilator support to maintain body oxygenation. If left, the patient would be dependent on ventilator forever till the heart seizes/stops its function. You may have heard of organ donation now and then, but do you really know what it means? You may also have a preconceived notion of what it means to donate organs. For example, a lot of people think that whenever and however they die, their organs can be donated. That is not true. Organ donation is the process of Retrieving or Procuring an organ from a live or deceased person known as a “Donor”. The process of recovering organs is called “Harvesting”. This organ is transplanted into the “recipient” who is in need of that organ.
There are two types of organ donation – Live Donation & Deceased or Cadaver Donation. Live Donation is from a healthy and living person. This can only be done in the case of a liver or a kidney (because the liver can grow back to its normal size, and a donor can survive on one kidney). So if a near relative of yours needs a liver or a kidney, anyone in the immediate family can donate to them. When we talk about pledging your organs or about organ donation, we are talking about Deceased organ donation or cadaver organ donation. This is organ donation from a person who has been declared brain dead by a team of authorized doctors at a hospital. A person is said to be brain dead when there is an irreversible loss of consciousness, the absence of brain stem reflexes and no spontaneous respiration.
In the past, here in Mangaluru, AJ Hospital and Research Centre has undertaken a few cadaver organ donations.The wait-list for patients with heart and liver failure is growing all the time as well and each year, thousands of people die while waiting for a transplant, because no suitable donor can be found for them. The need for organ donors has never been greater. It can be hard to think about what’s going to happen to your body after you die, let alone donating your organs and tissue. But being an organ donor is a generous and worthwhile decision that can be a lifesaver.
All people can be considered as being potential organ and tissue donors after death. However, the presence of active cancer, active HIV, active infection (for example, sepsis) or Intravenous (IV) drug use would absolutely rule out donation. Patients who have Hepatitis C may still donate organs to a patient who also has Hepatitis C. The same is true for Hepatitis B — but this happens in very rare cases. Most cancer patients may donate corneas.
Either in the case of brain death or when an individual suffers a cardiac arrest, individuals may share the gift of life with others through solid organ and tissue donation. You may pledge to donate your organs by signing and carrying a Donor Card (available on MOHAN Foundation website). It’s also important to tell your family that you want to be a donor. Even if there is documentation that a person was a designated donor, the consent of the family is essential for the organs or tissues to be donated. Hospitals seek consent from the next of kin before taking any action.
If you are not an adult (less than 18 years old), then your parents’ consent is required for organ donation. So if you want to become a donor, it’s important to tell them that you wish to donate. Children too are in need of organ transplants, and they usually need organs smaller than those an adult can provide. The Transplantation of Human Organs Act (1994) and its Amendment (2011) allows the donation of organ and tissues for therapeutic purpose only. The Form 5 of the THO Rules 1995 is the donor card. And Forms 6 and/or 9 are consent forms that the next of kin has to sign before organs/tissues can be retrieved
Be an Organ Donor- For further information contact: 8494890800 or Email: transplant@ajhospital.in