In a profound act of generosity, a 50-year-old woman from Surat has given a new lease of life to five individuals following a multi-organ donation after she was declared brain-dead. This noble gesture, which occurred on Saturday, marks her as the first donor of both hands in the city for this year.
A Legacy of Life from Tragedy
Jyotsna Usadadiya, a resident of Punagam, was initially admitted to a hospital on December 23 with severe headaches and vomiting. Medical examinations revealed a brain haemorrhage. Her condition led to her being transferred to Universal Hospital on January 8. There, a team of doctors including Dr. Dhaval Patel, Dr. Jay Patel, Dr. Dipak Viradiya, and Dr. Nidhi Patel confirmed that she was brain-dead.
Following this tragic diagnosis, the hospital coordinated with the non-profit organization Donate Life to initiate the organ donation process. Her husband, Bharat, and sons, Piyush and Ravi, made the courageous decision to consent to donating her organs, setting in motion a life-saving chain of events.
The Courage to Donate External Organs
Nilesh Mandlewala, the founder of Donate Life, praised the family's exceptional bravery. He noted that while many families agree to donate internal organs, consenting to donate external organs like hands is far less common. "This family showed immense courage," Mandlewala stated, highlighting the significant step their decision represents for organ donation awareness.
The donated organs were swiftly allocated to recipients in need across two cities:
- Both hands were transplanted to a 20-year-old man from Rajkot at Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai.
- Her lungs were given to a 64-year-old woman at H N Reliance Hospital in Mumbai.
- Her liver was transplanted into a patient at Kiran Hospital in Surat.
- Her corneas were donated to the Lokdrashti Chakshu Bank in Surat.
A Race Against Time: The Green Corridor
To ensure the lungs and hands reached their recipients in Mumbai in time for the transplants, a critical operation was launched. The organs were airlifted from Surat. The Surat city police played a pivotal role by creating a green corridor – a special traffic-free route – to facilitate the rapid and timely transport of the organs from the hospital to the airport.
Medical professionals involved in the process have hailed this donation as an inspiring example for society. It powerfully underscores the life-saving and life-transforming impact that a single decision for organ donation can have, creating a lasting legacy from a moment of personal loss.
