Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Updated: 10.35 pm
Mangaluru, Apr 13: For the first time in Dakshina Kannada, vital organs of a youth who met with an accident were taken to Bengaluru by bringing the traffic in the city to a complete halt on Monday April 13 night.
The vital organs - kidneys, liver and heart valve - belong to Jeevan Vijay Fernandez (24), from Belloor, Bantwal, who met with a bike accident on the night of Friday April 10 at Adyar.
This was the first time in Dakshina Kannada that traffic all the way to Mangaluru airport was brought to a complete halt for transporting human organs to Bengaluru. From the airport, the organs were taken via special flight. In similar cases in the past, organs were transported from Bengaluru to Chennai via 'green corridor' by bringing traffic to a halt in both cities.
On Friday night, Jeevan along with another person was riding towards Mangaluru to attend a function, when a pedestrian crossing the road came in their way and Jeevan applied sudden brakes to avoid hitting the pedestrian. As a result, he was thrown on to the road and suffered head injuries.
After battling for life for over two days in the hospital, the doctors declared him brain dead.
Thereafter, in a heartening gesture, the family decided to donate his vital organs, namely his heart, kidneys, liver and eyes. Though at first the doctors had considered transporting only his liver as the entire procedure was done for the first in Mangaluru, they later decided to transport his heart valve and kidneys also.
The corneas of Jeevan's eyes were also donated, but will be preserved in Mangaluru itself.
A team from Zonal Coordination Committee of Karnataka for Transplantation (ZCCKT), Bengaluru arrived in the city by special flight and along with two surgeons from AJ Hospital, conducted the two-hour procedure at AJ Hospital where Jeevan was admitted. The organs were taken by special flight to Bengaluru. The liver will be taken to BGS Global Hospital, and heart valve to Narayana Hrudalaya.
The organs, specially packed in ice boxes, were taken from AJ hospital by ambulance and reached the airport in just 12 minutes.
Jeevan, whose name literally means life, was employed as a salesman of spare parts for automobiles.
Son of Jerome and Gracy Fernandez, Jeevan was the third among four children. His sister is supposed to get married on May 4. His father is said to be suffering from cancer.
Speaking to reporters, Dr Sudheesh Rao, ICU specialist at AJ Hospital, said, "This is happening for the first time in AJ Hospital and Mangaluru. Our patient's brain was injured due to the accident. His brain was dead and would not have functioned again. In such a case, his heart, liver and kidneys function normally and will be useful for other patients and can be transplanted.
"The organs should reach Bengaluru within 45 minutes, after which they will be placed in a special solution and transplanted to other patients. There will be zero traffic while transporting the liver to the Mangaluru airport. This is being done for the first time in Mangaluru.
"Four surgeons - two of AJ hospital and two from Bengaluru, conducted the procedure. In future, we will take the initiative to transplant other organs," he added.
Speaking to reporters, Jeevan's cousin Vincent Pinto Angelore said that due to the accident, Jeevan's brain had stopped functioning, and Jeevan's sister Jennifer who works at AJ Hospital had suggested that his organs could be donated to other needy patients. Hence, the family decided to go ahead with the gesture, thus creating medical history in the district and setting an example to all. The traffic department of Mangaluru deserves a special mention for coordinating perfectly with the medical team in making this happen.