25 May,2016 11:17 AM IST | | Rupsa Chakraborty
“My father always helped people. We wanted him to help others even after death,” says Jay Patel, the son of 54-year-old Ramesh Patel, whose organs were donated to four persons yesterday
"My father always helped people. We wanted him to help others even after his death. Now, he will always be remembered," said Jay Patel exclusively to mid-day. Jay is the son of 54-year-old Ramesh Patel, whose organs were donated to four persons yesterday.
Jay Patel (red T-shirt) took the decision of donating the organs of his father, Ramesh (inset)
Ramesh, who worked as a petrol pump manager in Surat, had suffered a brain haemorrhage after an accident on Sunday afternoon and was declared brain dead by the next night.
(left) Anwar's handwriting before and (right) after the surgery
Jay (26) said after his father was declared brain dead, the decision on whether to donate the organs rested on him. He decided to carry on his father's legacy of helping others. "I will now suggest all my friends and family members to pledge their organs for donation so that we can save more lives," he said.
A 54-year-old Vikhroli resident at Fortis Hospital in Mulund, suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy - in which the heart's ability to pump blood drastically drops - received Ramesh's heart, which was transported from Surat in 77 minutes. The recipient's condition is stable post-transplant.
"After he was declared brain dead, we spoke to his family for organ donations and they readily agreed. His liver and kidneys were sent to hospitals in Ahmedabad and the heart to Fortis," said Nilesh Mandlewala, president of Donate Life, a non-profit organization for cadaver organ donation, told mid-day from Surat.
Anvay Mulay, chief of the cardiac transplant team, Fortis Hospital, said, "The recipient has been moved to the ICU and will be kept under observation for the next 48-72 hours".
This is the 18th heart transplant in Mumbai since August last year.
