In death she gave life to two others

In a first for the armed forces, a combined liver and kidney transplantation was carried out at Army Hospital here and ‘brain-dead’ wife of a retired soldier saved two people fighting for their lives. 

 

It is rarely that a combined liver and kidney transplantation is carried out in the country and it was the first for the armed forces. Liver and a kidney of Meena Devi, wife of Naik (retd) Ugar Singh of Rajput Regiment, was transplanted to one young soldier while her second kidney was given to another retired soldier suffering from kidney failure. Her corneas have been preserved for subsequent transplantation.

The young soldier, who received the kidney and liver, was suffering from kidney failure and was on regular hemodialysis for the last one year. His future was uncertain. “He had Primary Hyperoxaluria, a rather uncommon illness that arises due to a functional defect in the liver and results in kidney failure,” doctors at the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital said. “The only cure for this rare disease is transplantation of both liver and kidney. Getting matched donors for liver and kidney was difficult and with each passing day, despair was setting in for him and his family,” they added. 

In such a scenario the family of Meena Devi was godsend for the young soldier who has got another lease of life. Meena Devi was unfortunate to develop intracranial bleed and was declared brain dead on August 24. The family of Meena Devi took the humanitarian decision of donating her organs.

The Army Hospital has running a very successful organ donation and transplantation program since 2007. Former President APJ Abul Kalam and actress Priyanka Chopra have also pledged their organs under the program. Called Armed Forces Organ Retrieval and Transplantation Authority (AORTA), the programme aims to coordinate all activities related to creating awareness on brain death and organ donation within the armed forces. A total of 111 patients have been declared brain dead at Army Hospital (R&R) till date. Families of 86 of these 111 patients have been counseled for organ donation and in 41 instances relatives of the deceased agreed for donating the organs. The donated organs and tissues (livers, kidneys, corneas and heart valves) have been successfully transplanted to the needy in armed forces.

(People interested in pledging their organs for donation can get more information here - AORTA )