CHENNAI: A five-year-old girl from Coimbatore became the second youngest organ donor from the State since the Tamil Nadu Cadaver Transplant Programme took off here in 2008.
Jana Shruthi, a class II student, was travelling with her mother Kirthika to school on January 2 by two-wheeler when they met with an accident. Kirthika, from Vepamkudi, Karur district, is survived by her parents, one elder sister and a younger brother.
Speaking to Express, Dr J Amalorpavanathan, member secretary, Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu said, Jana Shruthi was the second youngest organ donor from Tamil Nadu. The first was a two year old girl from Chennai in 2013.
According to the Kovai Medical Centre and Hospital officials, the mother Kirthika suffered facial injuries and was still under treatment at a private hospital in Coimbatore. Her father, Thangavelu, a cook at a government hostel, agreed to donate his daughter's organs. The father from a middle class family wished to see his young daughter living in another child.
The relatives also played an important role in coming forward for the noble cause. Jana Shruthi was declared brain dead on January 5. On January 6 morning, the child's liver, two kidneys, heart valves and corneas were harvested and donated to different hospitals in Coimbatore and Chennai, the hospital official said.
One kindey was used in Fortis Malar Hospital, Chennai, another kidney in KMCH, and two corneas by Arvind Eye Hospital, Coimbatore. The heart valves were used by Madras Medical Mission, Chennai.
A kidney was transplanted to a six-year-old girl from Delhi at Fortis Malar Hospital, who was suffering from end stage renal failure for the past 18 months.
A group of doctors took the 6.30 am Indigo flight from Chennai and landed in Coimbatore at 7.30 am. They reached KMCH by road, which is five km from the airport. By 4.15pm the organs were harvested. The team reached the airport around 4.30pm and took the Indigo flight at 5.30pm and landed in Chennai around 6 pm.
It was possible because of the pre-arrangements with Indigo. Baggage checking and other procedured were exempted while boarding and landing, said doctors at Fortis Malar.