Bengaluru: After fatal accident, 7-yr-old becomes lifesaver for four

Bengaluru: A seven-year-old child, declared brain-dead after a road accident, donated multiple organs, giving a new lease of life to four people.

The child was admitted to Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS Hospitals), Mahadevapura, in a critical condition following the accident.

For seven days, a multidisciplinary team led by Dr Gurudutt AV, Head of Paediatric Services and Paediatric Intensivist–PICU and Paediatric Emergency, and Dr Raghuram Gopalakrishnan, Director and Senior Consultant, Head of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, continued intensive neuroprotection measures and advanced life support treatment.

However, due to a catastrophic brain injury, the child did not show any improvement despite the team’s efforts.

On February 24, in line with the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) guidelines, the clinical team confirmed brain death.

"In this time of profound grief during their darkest moment, the parents volunteered to donate organs to give a second chance of life for multiple recipients,” said Dr Gurudutt.

After the parents’ consent, the Government of Karnataka through SOTTO coordinated the retrieval of both corneas, kidneys, liver and four heart valves.

Through this act of generosity, four lives were transformed.

"India’s current donation rate stands at only 0.8 per million population. Compared with international benchmarks like Spain (48 per million) or the US (35 per million), we have significant potential to increase organ donation rates,” said Dr Narayana Swamy Moola, Director of Intensive Care at KIMS Hospitals, Mahadevapura.

While 2,50,000 people die annually from organ-related diseases, and 1,50,000 cases of brain death occur, only 1,200 successful deceased organ retrievals were done in 2025.

"Paediatric donations account for only 6 per cent of total organ retrievals. This hurdle likely stems from the high emotional bond when it comes to a child’s death,” Dr Gurudutt said.

"We need to bridge the gap by treating parents with empathy, repeated counselling by the treating team and increasing awareness regarding transparent, government-led organ donation drives," he further added.