City marks 2025’s first cadaver donation, giving new hope to three lives

Mumbai's first organ donation of 2025 occurred at MGM Hospital, with a grieving family donating a 50-year-old man's kidneys and liver to three recipients.

Mumbai: The city marked its first organ donation of 2025 on Friday at MGM Hospital, Vashi, as the family of a 50-year-old man from Koparkhairane turned their grief into generosity. The man, who passed away on his birthday due to a brain stroke, became a donor of life, providing his kidneys and liver to three recipients.

City marks 2025’s first cadaver donation, giving new hope to three lives

The donor, who suffered a second brain stroke during a New Year’s Eve party, was kept on a ventilator until his family made the decision to donate his organs. His wife recalled, “My husband and I often discussed organ donation after watching films but never formally registered for it. When the doctors approached us, my children and I decided to honour his spirit by donating.”

The family described the act as the man’s “return gift” to society. “This day will not be one of mourning for us but a celebration of life,” said his wife, highlighting his lifelong commitment to social work and helping the underprivileged.

Among the recipients was a 42-year-old woman who had been on the waiting list for four years. She received her second transplant on Thursday after enduring weekly dialysis sessions for years. “We counselled her and successfully completed the procedure,” said Dr Amolkumar Patil, kidney transplant surgeon at MGM Hospital.

The donor’s liver was transplanted into a 32-year-old man at the same hospital, while the second kidney was sent to Jaslok Hospital in Pedder Road, where it saved the life of a 19-year-old boy who was on top of the city’s transplant waiting list.

Transplant coordinator Vaibhav Bhosale praised the family’s decision, noting how rare such acts of generosity are. Dr Patil, who co-chairs the kidney transplant department at the Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre (ZTCC), added, “Mumbai saw 93 kidney transplants in 2024, up from 75 in 2023, but awareness around organ donation still needs to grow.”

The donor, who had a history of diabetes and hypertension but no severe illnesses, left a legacy of hope. His family ensured the donation process was completed on his birthday, with the hospital staff offering full cooperation.