Fifteen-year-old Mumbai resident Vaibhav Sanghavi had just completed his Class X exams in 2016 when he was asked a question that is rarely asked of someone so young: Would he consent to donate the organs of his 44-year-old mother who had just been declared brain dead? As their father was long dead, it was left to Vaibhav and younger brother Ravi to decide. They answered in the affirmative, proving what experts always say about the willingness of today’s youth to accept and promote the otherwise ignored theme of organ donation in India. The boys attended all the meetings and seminars on organ donation that they were invited to, unofficially earning the title ambassadors of organ donation in the Maharashtra circle. “Youngsters can motivate other family members. They are instrumental in making decisions as far as organ donation is concerned,” said Dr. S. K. Mathur of the Mumbai Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre (ZTCC).

There is no nationwide study of age profiles of Indian deceased donors, but doctors say that the youth and the aged form the biggest groups of donors. The reason for this is not hard to find. Road traffic accidents and intracranial bleed are the two main causes of brain death, which is a precursor for cadaveric organ donations.