True to her name, Muskan spreads happiness in the lives of six patients as she bids adieu to this mortal world with her heart transplanted to a matching recipient in Chennai while her liver, kidneys, pancreas, and corneas were transplanted to matching recipients at PGIMER. 13 year-old donor Muskan Grover from Rabon, district Solan, Himachal Pradesh, rises again amongst six patients through the transplantation of her heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas and corneas. Prof Surjit Singh, Director PGIMER stated, “Amid tragic demise of one’s own child, thinking beyond to save some strangers’ lives is unexpected and unimaginable.” It was a routine fun ride for Muskan on her bicycle around her home on 24 March when her cycle skidded and she fell from steep height and slipped into coma as a result of the grievous head injury. After initial treatment at Civil Hospital, Solan, the family rushed Muskan in a critical condition to PGIMER and got her admitted here on the same day on 24 March. Detailing about the case, Dr Apinder Preet Singh from Neurosurgery Department, PGIMER stated, “It was a difficult hour. Though we tried our level best to save Muskan under the close supervision of Prof. S.K.Gupta, Head, Deptt. of Neurosurgery, but her condition kept worsening. Given the extent of head injury, chances of Muskan’s survival seemed extremely bleak and we apprised the family about the prognosis.”
Muskan’s struggle between life and death came to a halt finally and she was declared brain dead by the brain death certification committee after following the protocols of THOA on 2 April at PGIMER. Describing theirs’ daughter as “adorable, compassionate and creative”, the bereaved Parents Rajeev Grover and Samriti Grover said, “Our tragedy is too gruesome for words. We want to focus on the positive, and that’s what Organ Donation has taught us to do. It seems Muskan’s life had a purpose. Her mortal journey has ended because others were to live because of her through Organ Donation.”
Prof Vipin Koushal, Medical Superintendent, PGIMER cum Nodal Officer, ROTTO (North) elaborated, “Having no matching recipient at PGIMER for heart, NOTTO (National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation) was contacted immediately to explore options with other transplant hospitals for matching recipients.
Finally, the heart was allocated by NOTTO for a matching recipient admitted in MGM Healthcare Chennai and was sent from PGIMER at 2.30 pm through a green corridor for International Airport, created with the proactive cooperation from Chandigarh & Mohali’s Traffic Police departments and airport authorities. The harvested heart was airlifted by a flight at 3.25 pm for its destination in Chennai and it reached at 8.27 pm on 3 April, said Prof Koushal.
It was further shared by Prof. Koushal that the Nephrology and Hepatology departments identified several potential recipients who were asked to report at the earliest. The cross match led to identification of three recipients for liver, kidney and combined pancreas and kidney and the transplants of all the organs were accomplished by the early hours of 4 April. The harvested corneas were also transplanted to two corneal blind patients here in PGIMER. “Every transplant provides a new beginning for our patients and is an incredible achievement for the entire team involved in transplantation,” concluded Prof Koushal.