Arora Family from Ludhiana immortalises the Life and Legacy of Pooja Arora through the noble act of Organ Donation Impacts 4 lives with ‘Gift of Life’ to 2 terminally ill renal failure patients & ‘Gift of Sight’ to 2 corneal blind patients at PGIMER, Chandigarh
PGIMER witnessed another story of exemplary ‘spirit of giving’ as the brave heart Arora family from Ludhiana immortalised the life and legacy of their deceased dear one, Pooja Arora through the noble act of organ donation. Their benevolent gesture impacted four lives including two terminally ill renal failure patients with the ‘gift of life’ and two more corneal blind patients with the ‘gift of sight’ following the transplantation of both kidneys, pancreas and corneas here at PGIMER Chandigarh.
Prof. Vivek Lal, Director PGIMER, expressed heartfelt gratitude and admiration for the donor family, stating, “The decision of Pooja Arora’s family to donate her organs during such a difficult time is an unthinkable act of kindness, highlighting the impact and importance of organ donation. Her family’s strength and altruism are deeply admirable and resonate with the core values we uphold at PGIMER.”
Pooja Arora, a resident of Ludhiana, Punjab, a loving wife and mother, was admitted to PGIMER on June 18, 2024 in a critical condition on account of intraventricular giant tumour. Despite the relentless efforts of the dedicated medical team, she could not be saved and was declared brain dead on June 26, 2024 by the brain stem death committee following the protocols of THOA.
In the meantime, transplant coordinators at the PGIMER apprised the deceased’s relatives of prospects of utilizing her organs through donation for transplants to terminally ill organ failure patients. Despite his profound grief, deceased Pooja Arora’s aggrieved husband, Jagdish Arora, made the courageous decision to donate her organs, turning their personal tragedy into a second lease of life for others.
“It was a very tough call but still we felt it was the right call,” stated Jagdish Arora, a businessman in garments trading from Ludhiana after consenting for organ donation.
“In our darkest hour, we found light in Pooja’s unending compassion. She was a beacon of kindness and love in our lives, and through her donation, she continues to be a beacon of hope for others. Her selflessness has turned our grief into a source of pride, knowing she has saved lives, ” reiterated Jagdish Arora.
Manya Arora, Pooja Arora’s eldest daughter, accompanied by her younger siblings, sister Aarvi and brother Anhad, shared her sentiments, “Our mother was the heart of our family. We will miss her every minute. Nothing can fill that void. Her kindness and generosity knew no bounds. With organ donation, she has given others the chance to experience the love and joy she always brought into our lives.”
Detailing about the process of the cadaver organ donation, Prof. Vipin Koushal, Medical Superintendent, PGIMER & Nodal Officer, ROTTO (North) stated, “Following the family’s consent, doctors at the PGIMER initiated the process of procurement of organs. After thorough assessment, both kidneys, pancreas and corneas were found fit for transplantation and were harvested Simultaneously, different series of tests like cross-matching were conducted to determine the compatibility with the intended recipients.”
A 23 year old female patient from Ganga Nagar, Rajasthan turned lucky to get Simultaneous Pancreas and Kidney transplant and the second kidney was transplanted to a 25 year old male patient from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, both patients admitted in PGIMER. Before the transplants, both the matching recipients were suffering from the last stage of debilitating kidney ailment and had been dependent on dialysis for long. The retrieved corneas, on transplantation, restored the sight of two corneal blind patients here at PGIMER.
Paying his homage to the brave heart donor, a family member of the Simultaneous Pancreas and Kidney recipient, while resonating the sentiments of all the recipient families, said, “No words can express our gratitude to the family of donor Pooja Arora. The impact of their decision has actually given hope and a second chance at life to all those recipients in desperate need. Their love, strength and compassion have transformed tragedy into triumph and their kindness echoes through the beating hearts of those given the gift.
