SURAT, INDIA - The diamond and textile city of Surat is gaining national and international acclaim as the 'Organ Donor City' following another heroic act of organ donation amidst the devastating Cyclone Biparjoy. The family of the late Dayanand Shivji Verma, a 42-year-old security guard who suffered a fatal brain haemorrhage, have given six people a chance at a new life by donating his heart, liver, kidneys, and eyes.
The life-saving heart was promptly transported to Mumbai, covering a 298 km distance in just 85 minutes, where it was successfully transplanted.
Dayanand, hailing from Bharuch, was working at the GSFC Fiber Unit colony when he collapsed in his bathroom on the morning of June 12. After being initially treated at the Apex Hospital in Kosamba, Dayanand was transferred to Surat's Maitreya Multi Superspeciality Hospital. Tragically, the medical team declared him brain dead on June 14.
Informed about Dayanand's condition, the team from Donate Life, a local non-profit organisation promoting organ donation, reached out to the bereaved family. After understanding the profound impact of organ donation, Dayanand's wife Shantidevi and their son Ravikumar consented to donate his organs. Despite their own pain, they embraced the opportunity to help others and affirm the sanctity of life.
Dayanand's heart was airlifted to Mumbai where it was transplanted into a 65-year-old man from Borivali. Meanwhile, his liver was gifted to a 55-year-old man from Khambhat and transplanted at Zydus Hospital, Ahmedabad. His kidneys found new homes in two other patients at a hospital in Ahmedabad.
In a coordinated response to this vital mission, the Surat City Police created a 'Green Corridor' from Maitreya Multi Superspeciality Hospital to Surat Airport, facilitating the swift transport of the life-saving organs. Remarkably, the Surat city police have thus far established 99 such Green Corridors, enabling the timely transportation of crucial organs to various cities across India.
This marks the 47th heart donation facilitated by Donate Life in Surat. As a result, organs from Surat, including hearts, lungs, and kidneys, have been transplanted across several Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Indore, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Calcutta. The city's generosity has also reached foreign shores, with donated organs transplanted into patients from Ukraine, UAE, Russia, Bangladesh, and Sudan in Mumbai and Chennai hospitals.
While Surat continues to be globally recognised for its textile and diamond industries, its emerging reputation as the 'Organ Donor City' is truly a testament to the compassionate spirit of its residents.
