Organ failure and death cuts across religious lines, but fortunately, so too does the selfless desire to help one’s fellow human beings in pain and suffering. A heart warming case in point is the story of 48-years old Zayeeda (name changed to protect identity) who had been on dialysis for six years and on the waiting list with the Zonal Transplantation coordination Committee ( ZTCC), Mumbai, for a kidney for the past three years. She underwent a kidney transplant on July 21, 2005 at Hurkisondas Hospital, Girgaum, thanks to the courageous decision of a Gujarati family from Andheri who decided to donate the organs of their brain-dead 37 year old son, husband and father. Zayeeda was told nothing more since organ transplantation guidelines do not allow any contact between donor and recipient families (to prevent any exchange of money or the like). But a chance inquiry revealed that the young man had been a vegetarian and so Zayeeda decided to express her gratitude by turning vegetarian as well! But the heart warming story hides a sad picture-the long wait for organs.

“There is no awareness about cadaver (brain-dead patients) donations and this results in people waiting for a long time for kidney donations,” said Zayeeda, voicing the concerns of thousands who suffer like her. While the ZTCC waiting list has over 300 registered  patients at any given time, the pace of donation only two this year( until September 2005)-means that a lot of ground has to be covered as far as sensitising people about organ donation is concerned.