Gujarat: 15-year-old boy’s organs save two lives

AHMEDABAD: Kapil Verchand, 15, fell down accidentally from parapet in his hostel at Anjar in Gujarat's Kutch district last year. The tragic incident left Kapil with haemorrhage as the doctors declared him brain dead. With some knowledge of organ donation, the family approached doctors and conveyed their wish to donate his organs. Today Kapil’s organs live on in two persons who got new lease of life.


His family was among the 85 that gathered at Civil Hospital campus on Tuesday to mark World Organ Donation Day. The event, organized by Institute of Kidney Disease & Research Centre (IKDRC), was attended by additional chief secretary (health) Poonamchand Parmar and Medicity chairman Dr M M Prabhakar.

Dr Vineet Mishra, director of IKDRC, said that motive of the event was to inspire many more families to take the lead in organ donation in the state. “We are still heavily dependent on live organ donations as cadaver donation forms minuscule part of overall requirement. One cadaver donation can save more than one life,” he said. “While awareness of cadaver donation has surely improved in recent times, we are employing multi-pronged strategy involving doctors, NGOs and medical facilities.”

Four-year-old Hetang was among the youngest cadaver donors. IKDRC officials told TOI that he was playing on the roof from where he fell down and doctors at Civil Hospital declared him brain dead. “His parents were not sure but it was his grandfather, who does not have much formal education, who motivated the family to donate his organs so that he can live on,” said an official.

The day was also marked by awareness rallies and seminars. Blind People’s Association (BPA) and other NGOs joined hands to carry out rallies in Vastrapur, Memnagar and Maninagar along with school kids whereas multiple hospitals conducted awareness seminars and workshops on organ donation to mark the day.