Doctors urge people to donate organs

Chennai: Organ Retrieving and Giving Awareness Network (Organ), was started by two youngsters, after their mother — 63-year-old Kirti Parashar — was in a dire need of a heart transplant and had to go through a lot of struggle to find a hospital that she could trust for the same.

She re-located to Chennai to undergo treatment with Fortis Hospital. Reena Raju, who had end-stage heart failure for four years, realised the lack of cadaver transplants only when she was in need. She moved to Chennai from her Bengaluru home for transplantation at Frontline Lifeline Hospital and Dr K.M. Cherian Heart Foundation.

She now organises marathons and cyclothons and sings to create awareness, with her donor heart. Many may know of the importance of donating organs. However, not many pledge to donate their organs until they experience a situation first hand.

Therefore, doctors urged the public on Organ Donation Day to pledge their organs to help save lives. “Thousands have lost their lives because of the lack of a suitable organ donor. To put an end to such avoidable trauma, we must unite to create awareness and encourage individuals to come forward to pledge their organs for a cause,” said Dr Cherian, founder chairman and CEO, Frontier Lifeline Hospital.

“After our movie, Chennaiyil Oru Naal, which focused on organ donation, many came forward to pledge their organs. It was amazing how awareness can help see a change. Everyone is bound to die and when they do, it is for the others to accept it. Only after they accept it, will they be able to think about saving other lives with the deceased’s organs,” said actor Sarathkumar.