In death, she gifts life to two terminally ill patients at PGI

On May 18, after being declared brain dead, the transplant coordinators at PGI approached Sunita’s son, Sahil Sharma, and asked him to consider donating his mother’s organs to save other lives. After a bit of life, Sunil gave his consent.

“My mother was always so full of life. We can never forget her smile, her laughter, and her positive energy. Even in her passing, she has spread happiness by infusing life in others through organ donation,” Sahil said.

After Sahil’s consent, a team of experts from various departments of the PGI quickly got to work, retrieving the kidneys from the donor and transplanting them to the two patients who had suffered renal failures. Professor HS Kohli, head of the Department of Nephrology, PGI stated, “The two patients have got a second lease of life. They were fighting for life, were on dialysis for long and their chances of survival without transplant were bleak.”

Professor Ashish Sharma, head of the Department of Renal Transplant Surgery, said, “The team of doctors was in the operation theatre round-the-clock in view of four transplants done back-to-back in two days, including one liver and kidney combined and one pancreas and kidney combined, surgeries. But it is gratifying that all the surgeries have been successful and the patients are recovering well.”

Professor Vipin Koushal, nodal officer of ROTTO PGI shared his concerns, and added that in view of the rapidly increasing burden of lifestyle diseases and organ failure incidence over the years, we needed to improve the rate of organ donations.