Brain-dead man gives fresh lease of life to five

The vital organs harvested from a mason who was declared brain dead at Pinnacle Hospital in the city gave a new lease of life to five persons.

Bora Kanaka Raju (30), a mason from Tagarapuvalasa, fell off an under-construction building and was admitted to the hospital with grievous head injuries on April 14. He was declared brain dead by a team of medical experts on Wednesday.

The family members of Mr. Raju agreed to donate his vital organs after they were counselled by the Jeevandan team. The kidneys, liver and eyes of Mr. Raju were harvested following the due procedure and allotted to various hospitals through the Jeevandan team.

One kidney was allotted to Appolo Hospital in Vizag and another kidney was allotted to Pinnacle Hospitals in the city. The liver of Mr. Raju was allotted to Appolo Hospital, while his eyes were allotted to a private eye bank.

Social stigma

The members Jeevandan team said that organ donation was slowly catching up in Andhra Pradesh. However, poor awareness and social stigma keeps many away from organ donation, they added.