Family Of 43-Year-Old Brain Dead Man Donates His Organs To Save Lives

The family of a 43-year-old man who was declared brain dead at AIIMS-Delhi following a head injury donated his organs, helping save multiple lives.

The organs donated by Rajesh Prasad were allocated to recipients through the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO). His liver was allocated to AIIMS-Delhi and the kidneys in two hospitals -- AIIMS Delhi and Safdarjang Hospital. His corneas have been banked at the National Eye Bank at AIIMS. His heart valves were also banked at Cardiac Centre, AIIMS, according to a statement issued by AIIMS.

Rajesh Prasad got injured on June 21 when when he slipped and fell from 10-feet high while executing some construction work at Ballabhgarh, AIIMS said in the statement, adding he was first moved to a nearby government hospital.

He was referred to the AIIMS Trauma Centre with a severe head injury, the statement said, adding he was declared brain dead on June 22.

"The family was shocked to hear of the patient's brain death and was emotionally unstable. Initially, they could not accept the concept of organ donations. They were not aware of organ harvesting and donation and were also afraid of disfigurement of the body by organ donation," the statement said.  The Organ Retrieval Banking Organization (ORBO) transplant counsellors and coordinators had multiple counselling sessions with the family after which they consented to the noble cause, the hospital said.

Dr Aart Vij, Head of ORBO AIIMS, said, "It is very hard for the family to decide for organ donation in such a tragic situation while they are in a mental shock and yet to come to terms with their loss".

However, when a family takes this brave decision all the stakeholder work very swiftly to coordinate the entire process.

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