New lease of life for 23-year-old Pune man, Mumbai based youth donates heart

A 23-year-old man from Pune, who had been on the waiting list for a donor heart for about two months, finally got a new lease of life on Wednesday, after a successful heart transplant surgery was performed on him. His donor was a 25-year-old man from Mumbai, who was in Pune for higher studies when tragedy struck. The 25-year-old's family decided to donate their son's heart, kidneys, liver and corneas to six critically ill patients after doctors at Ruby Hall hospital declared him brain dead.

The heart set out on its journey from Pune's Ruby Hall Hospital at 1.44 AM and reached Pune airport at 1.51 AM. It reached Mumbai in 63 minutes (at 2.30 AM), covering a distance of about 150 km, via a green corridor created by traffic police. This would mean that vehicular traffic would be cleared for an ambulance passing through a stretch in the city in a bid to ensure quick medical aid is provided to the patient at the earliest. The heart reached Mulund's Fortis Hospital at 2.47 AM.

Dr Anvay Mulay, heart transplant surgeon at Fortis, who performed the surgery said, "The donor's family should be lauded for consenting to donate their son's organs and saving the lives of six people. Our young patient is now stable and has been moved to the intensive care unit. The next 48-72 hours will be critical and we will be monitoring him closely."

By the numbers

• Cadaver donations: 91
• Kidney donations: 141
• Liver transplant: 84
• Heart transplant: 27
• Lung transplant: 1

Source: ZTCC (Zonal Transplant Co-ordination Committee)