In death, man gifts life to two

When Dhaktode suffered brain haemorrage on June 17 and was declared brain-dead on Saturday, his family knew the value of organ donation. They donated Dhaktode’s kidneys at the Sir Harkisondas N Hospital, Khetwadi, where he had been kept on life support.

Sanjay Dhaktode (35) lost his father to renal failure two years ago after he failed to get a kidney donor.

HT Image

So when Dhaktode suffered brain haemorrage on June 17 and was declared brain-dead on Saturday, his family knew the value of organ donation.

They donated Dhaktode’s kidneys at the Sir Harkisondas N Hospital, Khetwadi, where he had been kept on life support.

“It was a great gesture by Dhaktode’s family, given that his father died waiting for a kidney donor. It would help if many more people think like this and pledge their organs,” said Dr Atul Adaniya, assistant medical director, Sir Harkisondas N Hospital.

Dhaktode’s kidneys helped save two lives. A 36-year-old woman (name withheld), whose both kidneys were damaged, had been on the kidney donation wait-list for over four years. She underwent a kidney transplant on Sunday morning.

“My sister has been suffering a lot. She had to have dialysis thrice a week for the last four years. She is free of the trouble because of the Dhaktode family’s noble deed. I can’t thank them enough,” said the recipient’s brother.

Dhaktode’s other kidney went to a 65-year-old woman, who had been on dialysis and waiting for a kidney donor for the last six years. She too underwent a transplant on Sunday at Bombay Hospital.

This was the city’s eighth cadaver (brain-dead) donation this year. The donation was also one of the most swiftly mobilised among recent ones. Usually, cadaver organ donations take anything between 24 to 36 hours.

But in Dhaktode’s case, the whole procedure, from the time he was declared brain-dead to when the transplant surgery was done, took about nine hours.

“Identifying and matching possible recipients, getting clearance from the police, everything fell into place quickly,” said Adaniya.