Chandigarh | Organs of 13-year-old PGIMER patient give new lease of life to six

Family of the 13-year-old girl, who was declared brain dead at PGIMER, Chandigarh, on April 2 following an accident, donated her heart, kidneys, liver and corneas

The family of a 13-year-old girl, who was declared brain dead at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) on April 2 following an accident, donated her organs and gave a new lease of life to six people.

The organs of a 13-year-old PGIMER, Chandigarh, patient were transplanted to six others. (iStockphoto)

The retrieved heart was transplanted to a matching recipient admitted in MGN Healthcare Chennai and liver, kidneys and pancreas were transplanted here in PGIMER. The retrieved corneas restored the sight of two more corneal blind patients at the institute.

13-year-old Muskan Grover, from Rabon, district Solan, Himachal Pradesh, suffered a head injury while riding her bicycle on March 24. After initial treatment at Civil Hospital, Solan, she was transferred to PGIMER.

PGIMER neurosurgery department’s Dr Apinderpreet Singh said, “It was a difficult hour. Despite best efforts, her condition kept worsening. Given the extent of head injury, chances of survival seemed extremely bleak and we apprised the family about the prognosis and organ transplant. She was declared brain dead by the brain death certification committee after following the protocols of THOA on April 2, here at PGIMER.”

Further speaking of the organ donation process, PGIMER medical superintendent-cum-Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO, North) nodal officer Dr Vipin Koushal said, “With the deceased’s parents consenting to the proposal of organ donation, the concerned departments started reaching out to the matching recipients. Having no matching recipient at PGIMER for heart, National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) found a matching recipient admitted in MGM Healthcare Chennai.”

The heart was to Chennai through a green corridor. “The corridor was created with the proactive cooperation from Chandigarh and Mohali Traffic Police departments and airport authorities. The harvested heart was airlifted by a flight at 3.25 pm for its destination in Chennai and it reached at 8.27 pm on April 3,” Koushal added.

The PGIMER nephrology and hepatology departments also identified several potential recipients who were asked to report at the earliest. The cross-match led to identification of three recipients for the donated liver, kidney and combined pancreas and kidney. All transplants were completed by April 4.

The harvested corneas were also transplanted to two patients here at PGIMER.