CHENNAI: Even amid a time of profound grief, a young couple from Chennai found the strength to serve society and science by voluntarily donating the body of their four-month-old baby boy, who died on Wednesday, to the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital.
The hospital’s dean Dr M Kavitha said that this is possibly the youngest donor the institution has seen so far, with senior doctors suggesting this might be the youngest whole body donation in the state, although the health department is yet to confirm this.
Baby Yovan, who was born on November 1, had spent most of his short life in and out of Egmore’s Government Institute of Child Health, where he was treated for various ailments. TNIE learned he was brought dead to the ICH on March 4 (Wednesday) by his parents.
Aware of the need for organ donation, Yovan’s parents, Jennifer Jagannathan and Khamrudeen Jalaludeen of St Thomas Mount, approached the hospital and asked if they could donate the infant’s organs. “Counsellors explained to them that organs could not be donated as the baby had been declared dead,” a hospital staff member told TNIE.
When they asked about other options, the hospital told them about whole body donation, as done by late communist leader Nallakannu and academician Dr Vasanthi Devi, and referred them to KMCH. Hospital sources said that the couple completed the legal formalities and donated Yovan’s body on March 5 (Thursday) to KMCH.