12-Year-Old Girl’s Organ Donation Saves 4 Lives in Mumbai

A 12-year-old girl from Santacruz, Mumbai, has given a new lease on life to 4 people through organ donation after being declared brain dead. Vaidehi Bhau Tanavde, who had been battling immune thrombocytopenia—a rare autoimmune disease leading to dangerously low platelet counts—since 2020, suffered severe intracranial bleeding and was declared brain dead on July 13.

After her diagnosis, Vaidehi was initially treated in Kolhapur before being transferred to Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai, and later to Wadia Hospital. On July 13, after suddenly vomiting blood, a CT scan revealed severe bleeding in her brain. Despite the efforts of the medical team, she was declared brain dead.

Vaidehi’s kidneys, liver, and heart were donated to patients in need, following her parents’ decision to contribute to saving lives through organ donation. Her father, Bhau Tanavde, expressed his solace in knowing that Vaidehi’s organs provided new life to others. “What could be better than saving someone’s life through my daughter’s organ donation,” he said.

Dr. Minnie Bodhanwala, CEO of Wadia Hospital, commended the Tanavde family for their courageous decision in the face of tragedy.