A brain dead Woman from Surat, gives new life to seven people

An inspiring act of humanity seen in Gujrat’s Surat amid pandemic where the family of 46-year-old Kamini Patel, donated her heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and eyes to those in need, after she was declared brain dead.

Kamini Patel was under treatment since May 17, after she was unable to get up from the bed. Her blood pressure shot up all of a sudden and doctors diagnosed that she had suffered brain-hemorrhage. She was shifted to a nearby hospital where the blood clot from her brain was removed after craniotomy surgery. But her condition did not improve and doctors declared her brain-dead on June 5 after which the Donate Life team approached the Kamini Patel’s family.

“My wife is dead but she would give a new lease of life to seven people. Her organs would bring smiles to the faces of those patients who are in urgent need of them,” said Bharat Patel, Kamini Patel’s husband.

Kamini Patel’s heart was transplanted to a 46-year-old woman from Mumbai at Mumbai-based H N Reliance Hospital. Her one kidney was transplanted into a 30-year-old woman from Ahmedabad at the Sterling Hospital, Ahmedabad. Her second kidney was transplanted into a 27-year-old woman from Ahmedabad at the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC), Ahmedabad.

Kamini Patel’s liver was transplanted into a 58-year-old man from Bhavnagar at the IKDRC. The corneas were donated to Surat-based Lok Drashti Chakshu Bank.

The lungs were transplanted into the Covid-19 survivor woman at Hyderabad’s KIMS Hospital. A green corridor was created from Surat to Hyderabad, a distance of 940 km, and the lungs were shifted in 160 minutes.

For Kamini Patel’s husband Bharat, who is a social worker, it wasn’t a tough decision to make when the Donate Life team approached him for organ donation.

Kamini Patel’s son Aniket, said despite the personal loss, we thought about the lives that my mother organ donations would save. “Due to Covid-19, many people including youngsters have suffered damage to their lungs and they need urgent transplants to survive. My mother’s lung would help one of the Covid-19 survivors get a new life,” Aniket said.