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Dalit family donates dead son’s organs

With tears in their eyes, the parents said, “We are waiting for that day when we will see our son watching us through his eyes and listen to his heart beating in some other body.”

SHIMLA: A Dalit family of Santakhgarh village in Una district of Himachal Pradesh donated organs of their 20-year-old brain-dead son and gave a new lease of life to five other people on 16 June 2013.

Balaram Mahesh and Nirmala Kumari, the parents of deceased Sanjay Kumar, told FP that they cremated the body of their son on 17 June 2013, and on 18 June, they were informed by Chandigarh’s PGIMER, where their son was receiving treatment, that they had successfully transplanted their son’s, eyes, heart, kidneys and liver to the needy patients.

Balaram told FP that on 11 June, his son had met with an accident and doctors informed him that there was no chance of their son’s recovery since he was brain dead. Balaram works as a panchayat secretary and is associated with a number of social organisations while Nirmala is former chairperson of the Santakhgarh Nagar Panchayat. “Our family is committed towards social services and this commitment helped us to take such a decision,” said Balaram.

Recollecting their stay at PGIMER at Chandigarh, Balaram said Ramandeep Kaur, a counselor at the hospital, motivated them to donate their dying son’s organs and this way, their son may still be alive in a certain sense.

“At that time I felt bad, but after thinking a lot I gave my consent to donate Sanjay’s organs on 16 June,” said Balaram. However, Nirmala as a “mother” who still couldn’t believe that her son was no “more” said, “I know my son is alive in other’s bodies and I will soon meet my son.” She also said that PGI doctors have asked for Sanjay’s photograph which would be displayed in the department so that others would also be motivated towards such noble cause.

With tears in their eyes, the parents said, “We are waiting for that day when we will see our son watching us through his eyes and listen to his heart beating in some other body.”

Published in the October 2013 issue of the Forward Press magazine


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About The Author

Praneeta Sharma

Praneeta Sharma is Himachal Pradesh correspondent of FORWARD Press.