Brain-dead 2-year-old saves six lives in Mumbai

MUMBAI: A Pune couple, who came to the city to save their two-year-old son from a progressive brain tumour, ended up donating his organs on Sunday after he suffered brain death. Ivaan Prabhu is now the city's youngest cadaver organ donor in a decade. He saved six lives, including that of a four-year-old boy, who could finally undergo a liver transplant at Jupiter Hospital in Thane.
The family consented to donate his heart, kidneys, liver and corneas. His kidneys were given to two patients at Lilavati and Global Hospitals. A green corridor was created from Bombay Hospital, Marine Lines, to the airport to airlift the heart to Fortis Hospital, Chennai. His corneas were sent to Eye Bank Coordination & Research Centre in Parel.
Doctors at Bombay Hospital, where the donation took place, said that the child's parents expressed the desire to donate his organ soon after they were informed of his brain death. "Around 3pm on Friday, they were told that Ivaan was no more. Once his father, an IT engineer, came to terms with it, his next decision was to donate his organs," said Rupal Karnik, a family friend of the Prabhus. She said the couple, who used to live in Mulund earlier, didn't wish to be identified.
The family had learnt about the tumour only a month ago. After consulting several physicians in Pune, they decided to see experts in Mumbai. He was admitted on February 4 and a surgery was done a day later. "He regained consciousness, but perhaps destiny had other plans," said Karnik. Ivaan's remains were taken to Pune for the last rites.
The donation also facilitated the city's 11th organ donation programme. It also gave momentum to the programme at Bombay Hospital that had not seen a donation in few years. The hospital roped in their former transplant coordinator Amol Kadam and Jupiter's coordinator Aniruddha Kulkarni to facilitate the paperwork. Physician Dr Gautam Bhansali said such bold decision by families would go a long way in motivating others to donate.
Meanwhile, Karnik, said that the processes around organ donation need a relook. "Ivaan's father had informed the hospital about his decision to donate organs on Friday, however, it took nearly 24 hours for things to move," she said.