Should I do it ?
Yes, you should.
What if he gets killed ?
On the contrary, what if he lives ?
Am I doing the right thing ?
You did it with the pigs, successfully.
They are pigs, this is human.
You’re gifting him a life.
These are some of the questions that the two halves of his mind speak as he gets ready to perform the surgery, the first of its kind. On one side, he is a confident surgeon, sure of his success, and very well aware that his success will create a medical miracle and a path for many to follow. On the other, he battles self doubt. The negatives of ‘what if’ loom large in front of his eyes.
A battle of thoughts and emotions later, he goes ahead and does what his medical ethics ask him to do - to try saving a life if he can.
After nine hours of work involving a team of thirty people , Dr Christiaan Barnard created history , Louis Washkansky became the world’s first recipient and Denise Darvall, the first donor.
Yes, the world’s first successful human heart transplant , this was , way back in 1967.
(In italics above is the crux of what he thought , as he prepared himself for the surgery, as revealed in his book, One Life).
She was just 16 then. And her liver was threatening to make her bid good-bye to the beautiful world around her. But she wanted to live. She could, if she got her liver replaced.
Frantic searches for donors. Taking samples. Tests. More tests. Trying for the best match. Failures. Repeating the cycle.
Her parents couldn’t , but her aunt came forth, ready to donate a piece of her liver to her niece. Miraculously, she was found to be the perfect match as a donor.
And then, law hindered. Legal hindrances seemed insurmountable at one point of time.
But fate wouldn’t let them fail.
The story came to the attention of the society, and the Chief Minister of the state himself came forward to sort out the legal glitches and give a ‘ go-ahead’ for the surgery.
Prayers. Financial help. More prayers.
And finally, she started her journey towards life again. From a point where she would have fallen, but for the timely intervention of her aunt, and her magnanimity.
Swathi Krishna is now 19, and pursuing her graduation in Commerce from Ernakulam, Kerala. She’s currently getting trained in Classical dance forms too, as a part of her health regimen.
You have two sons, and you’ve been raising them alone ever since they lost their father. They’re so loving, the sole joy in your life. One fine evening, the bike that they ride falls prey to an accident, killing the younger
of the two, and leaving the elder one battling for his life. To say that you’re shattered would be a grave understatement, and the next evening , you receive news that the elder son is brain-dead.
What do you do when fate plays this cruel game ?
No, you don’t fall down. You rise up in the face of the threatening grief, and you decide that your son will live through three other people.
You donate his liver, and two kidneys.
We salute you, Rajeena Ma’m, for being a strong woman, and a stronger mother.
Well, these are just two of the many inspiring stories on Organ Donation.
And now for a personal story (cutting short a long painful one, of course).
My aunt had received a kidney in a successful transplant, almost 16 years back. She had started living her life normally after that, but we lost her two years later. Even as we mourned at the loss, we were thankful that she had actually received an extended lease of life because of the kind-hearted lady who had donated her the kidney.
Ever since, organ donation has been a topic close to my heart.
God creates life, mother’s womb nurtures it, and brings it out. We grow.
Every single thing about our body is a miracle.
We all are miracles, that way. So when someone’s miracle doesn’t function properly, isn’t it a good thing that we have the power to set it right for them ?
How ? By donating our organs. That would bring solace to so many aching hearts across the world.
We all know about blood donation, and have read enough and more on how the precious liquid saves lives. We are aware of blood banks too.
How about organ banks ?
I am.
We are.
Organ banks.
Who have been blessed with a good, healthy body, whose organs can help someone gain a new life, even after the heart has stopped beating and blood has stopped flowing.
Donating an organ is donating a life.
Imagine how many people can feel the difference in their lives if just one person donates all his organs - eyes, heart, liver, kidneys, bone marrow, tissues…. isn’t that great ? :)
So, if we all decide to be donors, imagine the massive change it shall bring in the world around us !
True, little drops of water do make a mighty ocean.
And for this, let’s take care of our health. Obviously, we cannot donate something unless that is in proper condition, so let’s vow to ourselves that when we donate , we’ll donate them in as perfect a condition as we can. Because, as I said, we all are ‘Organ Banks’. The more we care for ourselves, the more our organs can be of help to someone else, after we bid goodbye to the world.
To answer the question that might have popped up by now, no, I haven’t registered yet as an organ donor. But I will. That’s a promise to myself.
No, not for an eternal life.
But to add my drop of happiness to someone who might need it. And for the immense joy of being able to give :)
I’ll add a piece of myself to someone to add peace to his or her life !
So, how about adding yours ?
