In death, kin of Parsi man gift life to five on Navroz eve

TNN

Mumbai, 18 Aug 2015: On the eve of Parsi New Year, the family of a 57-year-old Parsi resident of Thane gave the gift of life to five patients by donating his organs after he was declared brain dead.

 

Farrokh Guard, who suffered a brain haemorrhage on August 13, was first rushed to Criticare Hospital in Thane and shifted to Saifee Hospital, Charni Road, the next morning. He was declared brain dead on Sunday morning and became the city’s 27th cadaveric organ donor this year when his wife Shazneen donated his liver, kidneys and corneas for patients with end-stage organ diseases.

 

"His wife wanted to donate his heart and lungs too, but couldn’t because there were no matching recipients," said Saifee Hospital’s transplant coordinator Dr Sabina Khan. While the liver went to a patient registered at Jupiter Hospital, Thane, a kidney each was given to patients at Saifee Hospital and LTMG Hospital, Sion.

 

Shazneen told TOI that she was happy that she could fulfill her husband’s wishes to donate his organs. "After reading articles on organ donations, we had decided to donate our organs if the situation arose," said Shazneen. "It was a difficult moment but I am happy he will continue to live in five people," she said, adding that it helped her make up her mind that her husband was hospitalized on August 13, which was Organ Donation Day.

 

Secretary of Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre, Dr Sujata Patwardhan, said this could be the first cadaveric organ donation by a Parsi. "The organ donation message seems to be catching on with more recognition of brain stem deaths inICUs, but we need more donations," she said. However, this time last year, the city had 30 donations against this year’s 27.