Brain dead 16-month ba saves two lives. His liver and kidneys were transplanted in 2 ailing kids

We often wonder why a child had to be born if he were to die young? What was his purpose of living, as in the case of ba Rishant, for just 16 months? But then the toddler, who was declared brain dead after a head injury, was able to save the lives of two more children after his family decided to donate his organs.
Master Rishant had only just begun taking his first steps on the morning of August 17 when he suffered a fall and was seriously injured. His father Upinder, a private contractor profession, was on his way to work when he got the worst call of his life. He rushed back and took the ba to a private hospital nearest to his house in Jamuna Park. When his condition did not improve, he admitted Rishant to the Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Center at AIIMS with severe head injuries, where he was declared brain stem dead on August 24.
That’s when doctors and transplant coordinators of the Organ Retrieval Banking Organisation (ORBO), AIIMS, sat down with the grief-stricken family, counselled them and said Rishant still had the “gift of life” as his organs could help other people. When the family understood how Rishant’s organs could be harvested and breathe life into other kids who wouldn’t otherwise make it, without him being disfigured, they wholeheartedly agreed to donate his organs and tissues.
“Ba Rishant was our sixth and youngest child. He was the apple of our eyes and very much loved his parents and five elder sers. I was busy leaving for work on the morning of the fateful day and couldn’t even hold my ba in my arms. It breaks my heart that we have lost him. But I felt that if his organs could save other lives, then we must donate them,” said Upinder.
According to doctors, the organs were allocated the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO). Both of Rishant’s kidneys have now been transplanted in a five-year old boy at AIIMS while his liver has been transplanted in a six-month girl child at Max Hospital. His heart valves and corneas have been banked at AIIMS.
Dr Aarti Vij, who heads ORBO, said that the identification and management of a potential donor is important in a successful organ retrieval and transplantation. “We have in place a system of mandatory notification to ORBO. Also, there is extensive work behind every organ donation and transplantation. From obtaining consent of the family of the deceased to retrieving organs safely, allocating and transporting them involves several teams and smart coordination. The whole process can be effective when treating physicians, transplant coordinators, transplant teams, OT team, forensic department, support departments, NOTTO and the police department are in sync. That’s how this dual transplant was possible,” she added.