A 70-year-old woman from Anand district, who was declared brain dead due to a stroke, has given new life to five patients who are waiting for organ transplant in Gujarat.
Bhanumati Patel passed away on December 4 after a long illness. The bird fancier’s family decided to donate his organs eight months after his son died while waiting for a lung transplant to treat lung disease.
Bhanumati’s husband Mahesh Patel said that the family was thinking of donating her heart and lungs as well. However, the age limit of 55 years for organ collection of brain dead patients has prevented more organs from being donated.
Patel said, “We donated two of his kidneys to the patients of Muljibhai Urological Hospital in Nadiad and sent his liver and eyes to Ahmedabad, where those patients were transplanted… It is a consolation that in his death he gave life to those people. Looking forward to a new lease.”
Patel’s 49-year-old son died in March. Patel said that after the death of her son, family members including daughter and daughter-in-law registered for organ donation, but due to Bhanumati’s age, they could not do so. “When the doctors told us that her chances of survival were slim and she would remain paralysed, we collectively decided not to operate. Instead we agreed to donate her organs,” he said.