Indian Transplant Newsletter. Vol.16 Issue No.50. March 2017 - June 2017
Print ISSN 0972 - 1568

MOHAN Foundation, Hyderabad completes 15 years

Indian Transplant Newsletter.
Vol.16 Issue No.50. March 2017 - June 2017
Print ISSN 0972 - 1568
Print PDF


MOHAN Foundation, Hyderabad completes 15 years

Late 2001, when I was itching to do something more than eye donation work, The Hindu newspaper brought me good news. The headline in the bottom of the first page read “Liver Transplants in city soon”. “Liver Transplants”, my eyes popped out immediately. I read with interest Dr. Ravindranath's (Chairman of Global Hospitals) interview and his vision to set up a liver transplant program in Hyderabad. Quickly, I sought an appointment to meet him personally. I expressed my interest in working for organ donations. After all, where would he get livers for his patients without an organ donation program in place? Post meeting, everything moved swiftly – meeting with Dr. Sunil Shroff for starting MOHAN Foundation in Hyderabad, getting the necessary training in US and UK, and kick-starting the movement.

Several meetings with Chiefs of hospitals, a seminar on brain death, hordes of volunteers, lot of public education, a small dose of cynicism from a few members of medical fraternity, lo – we had our first organ donor in June 2002. That gave me the confidence “We can do it”. 

January 2004 – the climax

He was a lovely 19-year-old engineering student, wearing branded clothes, branded watch and footwear, with dreams of simply enjoying life. He was by no measure an outstanding student, or excelled in his studies. He was a regular college student, with average intelligence, subtle sense of humor and a horde of friends. All that he wanted was to simply hang out with friends, and enjoy life.

 Yes, I am talking about my son Swamy Narayan, whom we lost in January 2004. His accident came as a bolt from the blue, and he was gone before we realized what had happened. All that we could do was to continue to have him “in others” through his organ donation. For me, life changed forever personally and professionally. Professionally, I had another designation “Organ donor's mother”. For a cause that was constantly being scrutinized, this tag added credibility, sympathy, courage, endorsement and a point of reference.

MOHAN Foundation Hyderabad – Success Story

My team and I knocked at every possible door, enthused every individual that we met, and made presentations in schools, colleges, hospitals, clubs and corporates. With over 500 presentations made to diverse groups of people and excellent media support, grief counseling almost became obsolete. Perhaps, for the first time in the country, families of brain dead patients called us on their own to donate their loved one's organs, so much so that 25 per cent of all donations were voluntary – no counseling or prodding required.

As we progressed swiftly, we realized the importance of engaging religious leaders in our work. When I invited Sri Sri Sri Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji to be the Chief Guest at our Organ Donor Families felicitation program, His Holiness responded proactively on the importance of this cause. He started preaching to his followers to donate organs across the globe during his travels.

From one organ donation in 2002, we gradually moved to 27 organ donors in 2012. Through MOHAN Hyderabad, we could touch over 857 patients through the gift of an organ/tissue.

Our professional approach in everything we did made us the most “liked” organization. Finally, when Jeevandan was initiated by Government of Andhra Pradesh in 2013, it was a stage “all set to play”.

From a one wo(man) army, we have grown to an impressive size in 15 years and continue to touch several lives and change the way people perceive the cause. Our mission continues, that of educating the public about this worthy cause, counselling families in that crucial hour of grief and irreparable loss, working with the government and training human resource that will be ready to take on the task of taking this cause to the next level.

The show goes on.

 

Mrs. Lalitha Raghuram

Country Director, MOHAN Foundation


To cite : Mrs. Lalitha Raghuram, Shroff S, Navin S. MOHAN Foundation, Hyderabad completes 15 years. Indian Transplant Newsletter. Vol.16 Issue No.50. March 2017 - June 2017.
Available at:
https://www.itnnews.co.in/indian-transplant-newsletter/issue50/MOHAN-Foundation-Hyderabad-completes-15-years-573.htm

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