Ten-month-old Alin Becomes Kerala's Youngest Organ Donor
Alin was declared brain dead on Wednesday afternoon after suffering serious injuries in a road accident in Kottayam on February 5
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a historic moment, a ten-month-old child from Pathanamthitta district in Kerala became the state’s youngest organ donor on Friday, giving new life to four people.
Her organs were transported from Amrita Hospital in Kochi to Thiruvananthapuram by road under police escort. The ambulance, KL-07 DF 3177, left Kochi at 7:15 pm and arrived in Thiruvananthapuram shortly after 10:30 pm. Thanks to police arrangements for traffic regulation along the route, the journey was smooth and uninterrupted, passing through Kunnumpuram, Edapally, Vyttila, Kundannur, Thrippunithura, Thalayolaparambu, Kottayam, Chengannur, Venjaramoodu, and Kazhakootam, covering the distance in just three hours and fifteen minutes.
Alin was declared brain dead on Wednesday afternoon after suffering serious injuries in a road accident in Kottayam on February 5.
The Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (K-SOTTO), the government body responsible for organ donations in Kerala, coordinated the process with the consent of the child’s father. Alin’s heart valve was sent to Sree Chitra Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) in Thiruvananthapuram, her liver to KIMS Hospital, and her kidneys to Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram. Her eyes will be donated to the Eye Bank.
Both kidneys will be transplanted into a 10-year-old girl receiving treatment at the Government Medical College, while a six-month-old girl from Thiruvananthapuram will receive the liver. Hospital sources confirmed the surgeries would be carried out immediately.
The accident on February 5 happened around 2:30 pm near Pallam Bormal Junction on M. C. Road while she was travelling with her mother and maternal grandparents. Their car collided with another vehicle coming from the opposite direction. She was first taken to hospitals in Changanassery and Thiruvalla, then moved to Amrita Hospital in Kochi on the night of February 6 for specialised care. Despite intensive treatment, doctors couldn’t save her and confirmed brain death on Wednesday afternoon.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George expressed gratitude to the girl’s parents for donating her organs and offered support to the grieving family.
The minister also lauded the services of the police department, hospital staff and the ambulance driver.