KANNIYAKUMARI: For its first-time visitors, the village of Madathattuvilai in Kanniyakumari district, nestled quietly along the road from Nagercoil to Thiruvananthapuram, is like any other modest hamlet of Tamil Nadu, surrounded by lush landscape and occupied by humble homes. But each unassuming house in the village hides a peculiar story of how a community came together to turn one’s loss into another one’s hope, through organ donation, particularly eye donation.
For the villagers, the act of eye donation is not just a practice but a pre-funeral ritual. In fact, it has turned into a deeply ingrained tradition that binds the hearts of people. At least one person from a majority of the households in Madathattuvilai has donated their eyes. Since 2007, a total of 367 pairs of eyes from deceased residents of this village have been donated, providing sight to those in need.
While talking about Madathattuvilai and its people’s noble service, it’s impossible not to mention St Sebastian Church, located in the heart of the village. Other than being a religious institution, the church and its youth club are the important social centres of the locality.
The seeds of the eye donation practice were first sown by the St Sebastian Youth Club. Fathers Domnic MK Dhas and DM Sujin Kumar, priests of the church, nurtured the idea and almost turned it into a movement in the early 2000s. Their efforts laid the groundwork for the Holy Family Federation (Thiru Kudumba Thiru Iyakkam), an organisation founded in 2009 to keep the ‘vision’ alive.
M Thomas (60), the joint secretary of the federation, speaks about the journey with a heart full of pride, “What started as a humble initiative has now reached far beyond our village. Not everyone was receptive to the idea at first. All thanks to T Maria Sebastian, the first person in our village to donate eyes. This was in 2007. This inspired many others to follow. ”
Every day, vehicles bearing eye donation awareness slogans traverse the village streets. In the past fortnight alone, the eyes of three departed souls were donated, adds Thomas. He noted that the harvested eyes are donated to Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital in Tirunelveli from where they reach those in need.
The legacy of eye donation is deeply personal for many. One such person is V Auslin, a member of the federation from Madathattuvilai. He proudly shares that five members of his family, including two grandmothers and an uncle, have donated their eyes.
The impact extends beyond the borders of this village, also known for its 100% literacy rate. J Joseph Raj from the neighbouring village of Nullivilai recounts how the awareness in Madathattuvilai has led to increased eye donation initiatives in his place. “Inspired by what Madathattuvilai has done, we have begun our awareness campaigns and more people are coming forward to make donations,” he says with a smile of fulfillment.
Father M Titus Mohan from Chemparuthivilai , who served as a priest in the village a decade ago, says, “The awareness has blossomed into a movement and it is spreading to other regions. My father’s eyes were donated recently. It brings me so much satisfaction to know that a part of him is still alive, helping another person to live a better life. Taking inspiration from Madathattuvilai, the eyes of 20 deceased people have been donated from Chemparuthivilai so far.”
S Velu, camp manager at the Eye Foundation Hospital in Tirunelveli, says the village is setting an exceptional example in eye donation to the rest of the state.
Professor Dr D Lional Raj, regional medical director of Dr Agarwals Eye Hospital and Institute of Ophthalmology in Tirunelveli, says, “Hundreds of visually-impaired or blind people now lead an easy life because of the villagers’ effort.”
The story of Madathattuvilai is a testament to the power of community spirit and a living symbol of compassion. The village tells the world not to let the eyes of your loved one fade into the sands of time; it tells the world to be part of a mission to spread vision.
Eyes of hope
The villagers donated 367 pairs of eyes.
For the villagers of Madathattuvilai, the act of eye donation is not just a practice but a pre-funeral ritual. At least one person from the majority of the households in Madathattuvilai has donated their eyes. Since 2007, a total of 367 pairs of eyes from deceased residents of this village have been donated providing sight to those in need
(Edited by Anagha R Manoj)