He is dead but his heart, liver, kidneys and eyes live on
Life was good for the couple of Marudachalam, a painter and his wife Kala living in Saravanampatti, Sivanandhapuram in Coimbatore, until their son Rajagopal, BCA, working in a software firm was involved in a tragic road accident. On that fateful day, Rajagopal went in a two wheeler for dropping his friend – collided with a pedestrian – and all three suffered injuries.
M. Rajagopal suffered a severe head injury in the accident and was brought immediately to Sree Abirami Hospital at Sundarapuram.
Diagnosis revealed he had slipped into irreversible coma. He was declared brain-dead around 4.30 p.m., after the second of the two mandatory tests were conducted, to assess a victim’s condition before being declared brain-dead.
Soon after being sounded about the irreversible condition of the man after the first assessment, his father Maruthachalam expressed his desire to donate his son’s organs. A team of ten doctors headed by P. Periyasamy, Managing Director of Sree Abirami Hospital, harvested the organs.
Consequently Sri Rajagopal’s organs – liver, kidney, eyes were all donated to various persons which included Ms Nurjahan. The liver reportedly was transported by plane to Chennai. A strategy code named ‘Operation Payanam [travel]’ was made in coordination with Traffic Police of Coimbatore, Doctors and various other authorities. The liver and heart valves were transported to Peelamedu in ambulance and then in a special beachcraft 16 seater plane from Coimbatore to Chennai; one of the livers was taken to Ramnagar hospital; eyes were taken to Sankara Eye hospital.
The sad father is quoted as stating that his son had been an active social worker associated with Vivekananda Kendra and had become an executive in BJP just a week back – he had been a regular blood donor. The tearful father conveyed that by doing the organ donation, his son would live even after death and that they would be able to still see his son in those recipients.
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