March 5, 2009 was a day of celebration for MOHAN Foundation when Mr. & Mrs. K. Raghuram, CEO and Executive Director respectively of MOHAN Foundation, Hyderabad received the REAL HEROES award instituted by CNN-IBN. Mr Yash Chopra, film director handed over the Real Heroes trophy and a cheque of Rs.5 lakhs to them. This was in recognition of the fact that the Raghurams actually “walked the talk” when they donated their son’s organs when he passed away. Their son, Swaminarayan (19), met with a tragic car accident on 13 January 2004 in Hyderabad and was declared brain dead. The grieving but courageous family donated his organs and gave five people a new lease of life. By bestowing the Real Heroes award on the Raghurams their supreme gesture of altruism was given the recognition it deserves. The Raghurams thanked CNN-IBN and Mrs. Nita Ambani, Reliance group, for their support.

The Hithendran Effect

There has been a spate of organ donations in Tamil Nadu since October 2008 and this has been largely due to what has come to be known as the “Hithendran effect.”

A.P. Hithendran’s life was snuffed out in an accident on the evening of September 19, 2008. Yet he shines like a beacon of light because his parents, Dr. S. Ashokan and Dr. Pushpanjali, took the decision to donate the organs of their brain-dead 16-year-old son.

Hithendran’s heart, kidneys, corneas, and liver were retrieved by doctors at Apollo Hospitals, where he had been admitted, to be used for patients with organ failure. While the heart was transplanted into a child at Dr. K.M. Cherian’s Frontier Lifeline Hospital, the corneas were given to Sankara Nethralaya and the kidneys and liver were retained at Apollo.

 “We were such a happy family,” Dr. Ashokan said, “I thought my son would take care of me. We did not want to burn his body. We decided that his organs, at least, should help others. I do not want to know who gets Hithendran’s organs, but I hope they all survive and praise my son.”

Hithendran’s parents to campaign for organ donation

A month after Hithendran’s tragic death, his grieving but courageous parents pledged to campaign for organ donation. They also strongly advocated the use of helmets and cautioned parents against letting minors drive vehicles.

Speaking at a function organised by RI District 3230 in Chennai to felicitate them, they spoke of their intention to tie up with organisations that promote organ donation. Dr. Pushpanjali said, “My son has done his duty towards society. Let us follow him.”  

The Governor of Tamil Nadu, Shri Surjit Singh Barnala who felicitated the couple said that research had revealed that there was a large pool of brain dead donors in the country. Therefore, there was a need to form a network with hospitals and the police to identify potential donors for quick retrieval and transplantation.