Deceased armyman's organs give new lease of life

Overcoming personal grief, an ex-serviceman donated the organs of his deceased grandson, also an army man, giving a new lease of life to three persons and restoring the vision of two others.

Overcoming personal grief, an ex-serviceman donated the organs of his deceased grandson, also an army man, giving a new lease of life to three persons and restoring the vision of two others.

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Though organ donation is not popular in the country, many army personnel are taking the lead by donating the organs of their deceased relatives.

Rifleman (RFN) Vijay Singh from Faridabad, who died in a road accident on Sunday, was brought to the Army Hospital Research and Referral in New Delhi by his grandfather, an ex-serviceman.

The ex-serviceman donated his grandson's two kidneys, liver and pair of eyes to five people.

"His grandfather saved three lives and restored vision to two blind persons," Army Hospital Research and Referral, Administrative Head, Brigadier A K Sharma told PTI.

The liver was transplanted to a 15 year old boy suffering from liver problem. Two eyes were donated to two blind people while one kidney was given to a mother of a serving soldier suffering from end stage renal failure and other kidney was handed over to the Organ Retrieval and Banking Organization for transplantation at AIIMS.

"The gallant gesture by the family of young soldier RFN Vijay Singh is an example of utmost kindness that a person can do for a fellow human being. Their selfless act makes us introspect about organ donation and its immense benefit to mankind," said Sharma.

This was second such donation at the institute within a fortnight.

The total number of such multiple donations has risen to 17 since the program was started in April 2007.

Armed Forces Organ Retreival and Transplantation Authority, the organisation which handles all organ donations in the armed forces, has so far received 18 donor livers at the army hospital, which is the highest for any institute.