Anand Kumar was declared brain dead on August 24

CHANDIGARH: A three-year-old boy gave new lease of life to two children and an adult. “Anand was the picture of happiness itself— an adorable, vivacious and bubbly child whose smile would light up any room he walked in. He was a mischievous child, always up to something or the other. He was God’s greatest gift to us. Who could have imagined that a fall from the stairs would snatch our bundle of joy forever,” said Anand Kumar’s father Rohit Kumar, who hails from Kurali in Punjab.

After his parents’ consent to donate the organs of their brain dead son, lives of three patients suffering from end-stage organ failure, including one in New Delhi and two in PGI were saved. The harvested kidneys were transplanted in a 4-year-old and a 24-year-old PGI patients, thereby giving both a second chance at life. Anand’s liver was transplanted to a 3-year-old child in New Delhi.

Recalling the incident of August 20, Rohit narrated how quickly a normal and a happy day of his life changed to an unexpected and cruel tragedy. “Like any other usual day, Anand was busy playing with kids from the neighbourhood and while running after one of his friends, he slipped and rolled over a flight of stairs after which he lost consciousness.”

He was rushed to a nearby hospital in Kurali and then to Government Multi-Speciality Hospital, Sector 16, Chandigarh, from where he was referred to PGI. Anand, who was still in a critical condition, was admitted in PGI on the evening of August 20. Anand’s battle with life came to an end as he succumbed to his injuries and was declared brain dead on August 24, 2018.

Despite their irreparable loss, Anand’s parents made sure that their child’s death is not reduced to a mere tragedy. They thus consented to donate his organs on being contacted by the transplant coordinators at PGI.

“There are no words to describe what we have been and are going through. I was thinking if we could save someone’s life by not letting our son’s life go in waste, then why not do it. It is rewarding to know that Anand will continue to live in others. Those patients will get more time to spend with their families now,” said Rohit.

Prof Vipin Koushal, nodal officer, regional organ and tissue transplant organization PGI said, “After completing the formalities for transplant, we secured his liver and kidneys. There was no matching recipient for liver in PGI. So, we immediately got in touch with NOTTO (National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization) to explore options with other transplant hospitals for matching recipient and finally a liver was allocated to Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi.”

The team of doctors at PGI fought against all odds to ensure timely transportation of the liver to New Delhi as there was no flight after 6pm for Delhi. Dr Koushal said, “It was literally a race against time. With no flight available for Delhi from Chandigarh after 6pm, we had to complete all the procedural formalities— harvesting process as well as transportation of the organ to international airport. We succeeded in making it on time through green corridor.”

