JOIN USIn a rare gesture of generosity, an entire family of 80 members in Virar in Palghar district on the outskirts of Mumbai have pledged their organs for donation after death.
The Lopes family—originally hailing from Agashi in Mumbai’s northern suburbs—said they were inspired by a lecture on how such donations can save lives.
It was decided that everyone from the oldest to the youngest would pledge their organs to give hope and life to the needy. On January 10, as the family marked the 25th death anniversary of its patriarch Bascao Dinya Lopes who died aged 79 in 1991, they listened to a lecture on organ donation held at a hall in Vasai-Virar region.
“We realised donating organs is for a cause,” 60-year-old Elias Lopes, who lives with his 82-year-old father Bavtis, said.
The family was inspired by the lecture delivered by Purshottam Patil-Pawar, chief trustee of Bapusaheb Patil-Pawar Charitable Trust that runs the NGO Dehmukti Mission to promote organ donation.
One of them approached Patil-Pawar to gain clarity on the concept of donation.
“They had initial apprehensions,” Patil-Pawar told Deccan Herald. “But once I explained the idea in detail, the whole family agreed.”
While the family’s oldest person of 82 signed-up, it said even the school-goers would agree for organ donation once they attain the legal age of 18.
“There were several doubts and myths (about organ donation),” Elvis Lopes, one of the members, told Deccan Herald. “Once they are cleared, we decided that the entire family should sign-up.”
Members of the family, who total to about 100, are involved in various professions. Some of them live outside of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.