Malkangiri: Debashis Das, an 18-year-old youth of MV-72 village of this district, Tuesday returned home after transplantation of a kidney, donated by his unmarried elder sister at a Visakhapatnam-based private hospital.
Twenty-year-old Trupti came forward to donate one of her kidneys after her brother’s both the organs were found damaged in May.
Apart from government assistance, several other organizations also extended financial help to save the youth’s life, it was learnt.
Debashis’s mother Sumitra urged the collector for help after both the kidneys of her son were found dysfunctional. Though the collector arranged for shifting of Debashis from district headquarters hospital to Apollo hospital in Vizag, finding a kidney donor was next to impossible for the family.
Meanwhile, Trupti showed courage and wanted to donate her kidney to save her brother’s life. However, the cost of transplantation was out of reach for the family. Several organisations of Malkangiri and the local MLA launched a drive to arrange funds required for the operation which bore results.
While the family received assistance of Rs 1.07 lakh from Chief Minsiter’s Relief Fund, Prime Minister’s Relief Fund gave Rs 3 lakh for the treatment. The names of other major contributors included Orissa medical fund- Rs 1.22 lakh, principal of a local college – Rs 1 lakh and Rotari Club – Rs 1 lakh.
Malkangiri MLA Manas Madkami would hand over the treatment cost to Apollo Hospital authorities in shape of a demand draft at a programme November 9, district emergency department sources said.
It may be recalled that the Debashis’s kidney transplant was delayed due to financial difficulties of the family even as his elder sister wanted to donate one of her kidneys.
The family received nearly Rs 2 lakh from a cross section of society after Dharitri and Orissa POST published news highlighting the plight of the family. PNN
