16-month-old boy who suffered fatal injury after fall becomes youngest organ donor at AIIMS-Delhi

The family of a 16-month-old boy who suffered fatal injuries due to a fall and was declared brain dead at the AIIMS in Delhi donated his organs, offering a fresh lease of life to two patients.

According to doctors, the boy was the youngest organ donor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

His kidneys and liver were transplanted in two other kids, while his heart valves and corneas have been banked at the AIIMS, they said.

The boy, Rishant, suffered a fall and was seriously injured on August 17. His father, Upinder, a private contractor, took him to a nearby private hospital in Jamuna Park. He was transferred to the Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre at the AIIMS the same afternoon.

"The child was born to donate. He fought for eight days after suffering severe head injury. He had sustained severe head injury and CT scan showed irreversible severe damage to the whole brain," Dr Deepak Gupta, Professor of Neurosurgery at AIIMS, told PTI.

He was declared brain dead on August 24.

The grief-stricken family was counselled by the doctors and transplant coordinators of the Organ Retrieval Banking Organisation (ORBO) at AIIMS and they were informed about organ donation.

After counselling, the family agreed to donate his organs and tissues, doctors said.

The retrieval of organs began at 2 AM on Thursday and continued till 5 AM.

Identification and management of a potential donor is important in a successful organ retrieval and transplantation, Dr Aarti Vij, Head of ORBO, said.

"We have in place a system of mandatory notification to ORBO. Also, there is extensive work behind every organ donation and transplantation. From obtaining consent of deceased's family to retrieval of organs safely, allocation and transportation of organs, there are several teams at work.

"It's because of the effective and efficient coordination between many teams -- treating physicians, transplant coordinators, transplant teams, OT team, forensic department, support departments, NOTTO and police department -- that this is made possible," Dr Vij said.

The organs were allocated by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO), she said.

Both kidneys have been transplanted in a five-year-old boy at the AIIMS and liver has been transplanted in a six-month-old girl at the Max Hospital. His heart valves and corneas have been banked at the AIIMS.

"Rishant was the sixth and youngest child. I was busy leaving for work on the morning of the fateful day and couldn't even hold my baby in my arms. It breaks my heart that we have lost him. But when we came to know about organ donation, I felt that if his organs can save the lives of others, then I must donate them," the father said.

"We donate food, clothes, money to the needy. Today our child is no longer with us, only his memories and body remains," said Upinder.

During the counselling, the parents were told about Rolly's story of organ donation after which they were more convinced about the need of organ donation of their child to save other lives.

The parents of six-year-old Rolly who was declared brain dead at the AIIMS Trauma Centre following a gunshot injury had donated her vital organs -- heart, liver, kidneys and corneas -- in April this year, Dr Gupta said.