Surat – In a deeply moving act of humanity, the family of 46-year-old crane operator Chamkalal Yadav donated his heart, kidneys, liver, and eyes after he was declared brain dead, giving a new lease on life to six individuals. The organ donation was facilitated by Donate Life, an organization known for its extensive work in the field of organ and tissue donation.
As per agency report, Chamkalal, originally from Bhagalpur district in Bihar and a resident of Mora Tekra, Hazira, worked at Unnati Engineering Pvt. Ltd. On March 28, while on duty at L&T’s Defence Gate, he suddenly collapsed due to dizziness. He began experiencing severe headaches and vomiting soon after and was rushed to Ashutosh Multispeciality Hospital via a 108 emergency ambulance.
A CT scan revealed a brain hemorrhage caused by a balloon-like bulge in the small brain’s blood vessels. Despite medical efforts, Chamkalal was declared brain dead on March 31 by the hospital’s intensive care and neurosurgery teams. Dr. Ruchita Manvani, Medical Officer at the hospital, informed Donate Life’s Nilesh Mandalewala about the situation. Their team reached the hospital and explained the process and importance of organ donation to Chamkalal’s wife, Lalita Devi, and other family members.
Moved by the opportunity to help others, the family agreed to the donation. Chamkalal is survived by his wife and three sons—17-year-old Nitish Kumar Yadav, a first-year Arts student at NB College in Bhagalpur; 15-year-old Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, a 12th-grade student; and 13-year-old Jaikant, who is in high school.
After receiving consent, SOTTO allocated Chamkalal’s heart to U.N. Mehta Hospital in Ahmedabad, while his liver and kidneys were assigned to IKDRC, Ahmedabad. To ensure timely delivery, Surat City Police facilitated two green corridors—one by air for the heart and another by road for the liver and kidneys.
Notably, this was the 56th heart donation coordinated by Donate Life, which has now arranged a total of 1,315 organ and tissue donations. These include 534 kidneys, 232 livers, 56 hearts, 52 lungs, 9 pancreases, 8 hands, 1 small intestine, and 423 eye donations, benefiting 1,211 recipients across India and abroad.
In accordance with his wife's wishes, Chamkalal’s body was sent to their native village in Bihar—Babhngama, Post Kaliganj, Police Station Shivnarayanpur, District Bhagalpur—so that the children could see their father one last time. Donate Life covered all arrangements for the body’s transport from Surat Airport to Patna by cargo flight, and from Patna to their village by road, free of charge. The organization also pledged to take full responsibility for the education of Chamkalal’s three children.
The assistance of Dr. Vinesh Shah in the embalming process was acknowledged as commendable. Chamkalal’s selfless donation underscores Surat’s growing prominence in the field of organ donation, with Donate Life continuing to play a pivotal role in saving lives and restoring vision across borders.
