Mohali: Fatal mishap victim’s organs save 2 lives, give sight to two

On April 4, Jyoti’s life was cut short when the auto-rickshaw that she was travelling in was struck from behind by a motorcycles

A 21-year-old woman, who was killed in a road accident, gave a new lease of life to four patients after her family consented to organ donation.

Jyoti, 21, suffered injuries during an accident on April 4 and was shifted to PGIMER. She succumbed after a cardiac arrest on April 8. (HT Photo)

On April 4, Jyoti Kumar’s life was cut short when the auto-rickshaw that she was travelling in was struck from behind by a motorcycle. The impact caused her to fall on the road, leading to severe head injuries.

After being rushed through several hospitals, she was brought to PGIMER, Chandigarh, in an extremely critical condition on April 6, where she succumbed to cardiac arrest on April 8.

Despite the heart-breaking circumstances, Jyoti’s family, hailing from Mundi Kharar, chose to honour her memory through organ donation. Although the traditional pathway for organ retrieval was not available due to her cardiac arrest, a dedicated team from the renal transplant surgery, supported by an anaesthesia team from Advanced Trauma Centre, nephrology department, testing labs and transplant coordinators, moved forward with Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD).

They successfully transplanted her kidneys into two patients suffering from terminal renal failure, ending their painful battle with dialysis, and her corneas provided sight to two others.

“Caring for others was who she was. It feels right that her final act was one of generosity, just as she lived. Mai kanyadaan nahi kar payi, par mai angdan zaroor karungi,” said Jyoti’s mother Geeta, tearfully recalling the joy her daughter brought into their lives.

“No words can convey our remorse.We have not only lost our daughter but the heart of our family. Yet, we take solace in knowing that even in her passing, she has helped four people live on,” expressed Jyoti’s father Virender Kumar.

Race against time

Detailing the challenges in DCD, Dr Deepesh Kenwar from department of renal transplant surgery, PGIMER, said, “Every second counts while retrieving organs after cardiac death. This was the 19th such donation at PGIMER and has benefited 30 patients so far. Organs tend to deteriorate very fast after the heart stops and have to be removed from the body within the next 60 minutes.”

Paying tributes to Jyoti, PGIMER director Dr Vivek Lal also lauded her family for their selfless decision.