Brain-dead accident victim’s organs to give new life to five

Surat: Surat: Organs from a 50-year-old accident victim from Surat will give new life to five persons.
Gitesh Modi, a resident of Kotyark Nagar in Rander area of Surat city, suffered severe injuries after he was hit by an unidentified vehicle while riding a motorcycle on Ring Road in Surat on June 23.
According to sources, Modi fell unconscious after the accident and an ambulance passing by took him to the nearby hospital. The doctors at the hospital found that he had suffered a brain haemorrhage. Surgery was performed and blood clots were removed on June 27. However, after the surgery the doctors declared Modi as brain-dead.
Modi was active in promoting cadaver donation throughout his life. He used to organize cadaver donation awareness programmes at various institutions.
“As soon as Modi was declared brain-dead, his brother-in-law Rajesh Dhabuwala and his wife Rinku contacted us for cadaver donation,” Nilesh Mandlewala, Founder of Donate Life, told TOI.
“My husband devoted his life to creating awareness about cadaver donations. Like him, we also want to see smiles on the faces of those patients who are in urgent need of organs. This would be a real tribute to him,” said Modi's wife Rinku (45).
Modi is survived by his wife (45), daughter Dr Mona Patel (27) who is settled in Canada and son Rishi Modi (22), who studies in Canada.
“As there were no patients in need of a heart or lung in Gujarat, the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) informed ROTTO ( Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation) in Mumbai. But as there was no requirement, the heart and lungs were allotted to one patient in Hyderabad,” said Mandlewala.
However, as the heart was not in a condition to be transplanted, the lung also could not be used as both organs were allotted to one person, added Mandlewala.
The liver was transplanted into a 54-year-old man from Nadiad under treatment in Ahmedabad. One kidney was given to a 45-year-old man from Bharuch and another to the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC) for transplant. Two corneas were donated to Surat-based Lok Drishti Eye bank.