New Delhi: The family members of a retired teacher consented to donate her organs after doctors at Manipal Hospital confirmed her brain death following a severe intracerebral haemorrhage.Sixty-nine-year-old Stella Suchindran fell unconscious in the bathroom while preparing for yoga on June 29. Upon arrival at Manipal Hospital, a CT scan revealed substantial intracerebral haemorrhage. Despite ventilator support and specialised care in the intensive care unit, her condition worsened, leading to brain death declaration on July 2.Her son and other family members decided to donate her organs during their bereavement. The organs donated include her liver, kidneys and corneas. A 33-year-old woman at HCMCT Manipal Hospital, Dwarka, received her liver. One kidney went to a 51-year-old man in the same facility, while the other kidney was sent to PSRI Hospital to be donated to a 34-year-old man. Nirmaya Eye Bank received her corneas for vision restoration procedures.Dr Anurag Saxena, cluster head of Delhi-NCR’s department of neurosurgery at Manipal Hospital, Dwarka, said: “The family’s courage and strength during such a difficult time is inspiring. The patient came with a massive brain haemorrhage due to a ruptured brain aneurysm and knowing the inevitable outcome, her family decided to continue with non-surgical management.”“Organ donation is a vital part of end-of-life care, offering new hope to people and providing an opportunity to save multiple lives. Each act of organ donation is a reminder that even in our final moments, we can give others the gift of tomorrow,” Dr Shrikanth Srinivasan, chairman of Manipal Institute of Critical Care Medicine, Dwarka, said.India continues to face a wide gap between the number of patients awaiting transplants and the organs available.National data shows that approximately 1.8 lakh people suffer from kidney failure each year, yet only 13,426 kidney transplants were performed in 2023.Similarly, out of the 25,000–30,000 liver transplants needed annually, only 4,491 were conducted last year.In the case of corneas, about 25,000 transplants are performed annually against a requirement of 1 lakh.
