When Hema Sundar Raj passed away on September 23, 1995, her heart was transplanted into Mymoon Beevi at Madras Medical Mission hospital, Chennai. It has been four years now and Mymoon Beevi, the country’s first heart transplant patient is doing just fine. The cost of immunosuppressants and follow-up treatment is being met by the hospital.

September 23 was observed as Organ Donation Awareness day at Madras Medical Mission. The children of Hema Sundar Raj, Shankari (15) and Urmila (12) were present along with Mymoon Beevi (see picture) at a function held on that day. Hema Sundar Raj died at the age of 35 because of injuries sustained in a road traffic accident. Her husband, Mr.Sundar Raj, even in the midst of deep grief, made a courageous decision to donate her heart and make her death as meaningful as her life had been. According to Dr. K. M. Cherian and Dr. N. Madhu Sankar, Madras Medical Mission, organ donation awareness in India, both amongst the public as well as medical professionals, is very low when compared to countries like Spain and U.S.A.

Spain has the highest number of organ donors in the world – 28 per million; in the U.S.A it is 18 per million.