Organ donation: Answer to priest's prayers came in form of cousin

Father Lloyd Rodrigues, 50, can't think of a better person to share a dais with than Father Glenford Lowe.

After all it's his second cousin's kidney that's keeping him in good health.

The two are among the 32 organ donor-recipient pairs who will be felicitated by PD Hinduja Hospital on Sunday to encourage organ donation and to appreciate the selfless act of the donor.

Father Rodrigues suffered a kidney failure in 2008 due to diabetes. For two-and-a-half years after that, the Matunga resident hoped he would lucky and get a transplant from his immediate family members. But none of their tissues matched that of his organ.

That's when Father Lowe came forward. After the Directorate of Medical Education and Research gave the go-ahead for the organ donation, Father Rodrigues began piecing his life together again last July.

Appreciating the efforts of donors like Father Lowe, Dr Allan Almeida, consultant nephrologist, Hinduja Hospital, said, "It takes a lot of courage to donate an organ and it gives me immense joy to see more number of donors coming forward every year. It is to celebrate this spirit that we organise a donor felicitation day every year. With this programme, we wish to highlight the need for donors and to inform people that life can function properly with one kidney."

Last year saw the lowest number of cadaver donations in last three years. The zonal transplant and coordination committee (ZTCC) has now taken it up as a challenge to review cadaver donations in the city.

"It is very important to encourage cadaver donation if we want to end the suffering these people have to undergo while waiting for a kidney transplant. Many a time, family members fail to donate a kidney because of mismatch or some other issues. The average wait period for such a patient is more than four years. Not only does undergoing a dialysis three times a week burn a hole in their pockets, but it is also a cumbersome process," said Dr Almeida.

Father Lowe, director of archdiocesan value education centre, Don Bosco Youth Services, said he was moved by Father Rodrigues' suffering. "I, then, decided to encourage the youth at our meetings for cadaver donations."

India ranks 17 on conversion of cadavers to organ donors. One of the biggest problems is the lack of awareness about the procedure.

In Mumbai alone, there are 2,000 patients with end stage renal disease on ZTCC's wait-list. These are patients who cannot find a matching kidney donor in their own family. It takes anywhere from one-and-half years to two years for a patient to receive a kidney.