In an inspiring yet deeply emotional gesture, the parents of 16-month-old Janmesh Lenka made a courageous decision that turned their tragedy into a beacon of hope for others with the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar facilitating multi-organ transplantation from the brain-dead young organ donor.

The boy’s organs helped save two lives as a multidisciplinary team of surgeons and transplant coordinators swiftly facilitated the retrieval and transplantation process, said Dr Ashutosh Biswas, Executive Director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar.

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Janmesh, who was admitted to the Pediatric Department of AIIMS Bhubaneswar on 12 February, suffered from foreign body aspiration and choking. Despite receiving immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the relentless efforts of the intensive care team to stabilise him over the following two weeks, the child was declared brain dead on 1 March.

Recognising the possibility of giving the gift of life to others, the medical team at the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, counselled the grieving parents about organ donation. With immense strength and compassion, they consented, allowing their child’s organs to be used for life-saving transplants.

Following the consent, a multidisciplinary team of surgeons and transplant coordinators swiftly facilitated the retrieval and transplantation process.

The liver was successfully retrieved by the gastro-surgery team and was transported to the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in New Delhi, where it was transplanted into a child suffering from end-stage liver failure.

The kidneys were retrieved and transplanted en bloc into a single adolescent patient at the AIIMS Bhubaneswar. This complex surgical procedure was successfully performed at the Urology Department of the institute.

It is the second instance of en bloc kidney transplantation in the state, a highly specialised surgical approach was taken where both kidneys from a pediatric donor are transplanted together into a single recipient.

The inspiring story of Janmesh and his parents’ decision serves as a powerful reminder of the impact of organ donation, especially in pediatric cases. Their noble act has not only saved lives but has also set a precedent for promoting awareness about pediatric organ donation in India.

It also underlines the importance of public awareness, timely consent, and medical coordination in ensuring that organs from brain-dead patients can be used to give new life to those in need, added AIIMS authorities.