Surat: Indian Railways arranged a special halt for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express at Ankleshwar railway station on Sunday, to facilitate the transportation of a 22-year-old road accident victim’s heart. The heart was later transported to U N Mehta Hospital in Ahmedabad via a green corridor.The grand gesture of the Indian Railways comes after the family of the youth from Bharuch district turned their personal tragedy into a gift of life by donating his organs.Atul Patel, a resident of Alwa village in Hansot taluka, worked as a helper at Shaktichem Chemical Company. He suffered severe head injuries on July 29 and was admitted to Smt Jayaben Mody Multispeciality Hospital in Ankleshwar, where doctors treated him under the guidance of neurosurgeon Dr Jaipalsinh Gohil.A CT scan revealed severe brain haemorrhage and brain swelling. Despite intensive treatment, he was declared brain-dead on Aug 1.With the assistance of Donate Life, Atul’s heart, liver, both kidneys, pancreas and eyes were retrieved and donated. The move is expected to give a new lease of life to six patients.This marks the third heart donation from Bharuch district. Through the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO), the heart was transplanted into a 25-year-old patient at U N Mehta Hospital, while the liver, kidneys and pancreas were allocated to patients through the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC). The eyes were donated to the G C Nahar Rotary Eye Bank.Water resources minister Ishwarsinh Patel and the medical superintendent of Smt Jayaben Mody Multispeciality Hospital, Dr Atmi Deliwala, counselled the grieving family on the significance of organ donation. Following guidance from the Donate Life team regarding the donation process, the family unanimously consented to donate Atul’s organs.The donations are expected to save or considerably improve the lives of multiple recipients.Box: 76-year-old’s hand and eyes donated in SuratIn another act of generosity, the family of a 76-year-old man in Surat donated one of his hands and eyes after he was declared brain-dead.Manubhai Dobariya collapsed at his residence on July 31 and was rushed to P P Maniya Hospital, where doctors declared him brain-dead. With the support of Jeevandeep Organ Donation Foundation and in the presence of health minister Praful Panseriya, his hand and both eyes were retrieved for transplantation.Dobariya’s hand was transplanted to 19-year-old Sabarkantha youth, who had lost one of his hands due to electrocution in 2013, while his eyes were donated to Lok Drashti Eye Bank.
