B’luru: Even in death, nurse gives new lease on life to 5 others

Bengaluru: A nurse who had been declared brain-dead has given new lease on life to 5 others, when her family decided to donate her organs.

T K Ganvi (22)  from Hosakoppa village, N.R. Pura taluk, Chikkamagaluru district,  was working as a staff nurse in Nirmala Nursing Home in Shivamogga. But on February 8, she had suddenly collapsed while on duty at the hospital.  As her condition was precarious, she was put on ventilator support. She was then referred to the PMSSY Hospital on Victoria Hospital campus for further treatment.

However, Ganvi’s condition further deteriorated and on February 12, the doctors declared her clinically brain dead. And that’s when her next of kin decided to donate her organs.

The donor’s body was shifted to the Institute of Gastroenterology and Organ Transplant (IGOT) for organ retrieval by Jeevasarthakathe, the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation.  Her liver, kidneys, heart valves, and corneas, were retrieved for transplanting into other patients, reports said.

Dr. Sudhakar Tweeted about the noble decision of the family to donate organs. “She cured and cared patients when she was alive and she gifted her organs after her death. The 22-year-old staff nurse T.K.Ganvi who donated her organs after a tragic death is an example of ‘Paropakararthaṃ yo jivati sa jivati’ – they alone live, who live for others,” he wrote.

Further he wrote, “Hats off to the family of Ganvi for their kindness amid heart-wrenching tragedy. The young girl is an inspiration to all of us to pledge for organ donation. This also happens to be the first organ retrieval at Institute of Gastroenterology and Organ Transplant (IGOT).”