16-month-old gives new life to two patients through organ donation

According to the release, the 16-month-old master, Janmesh, gave new life to two patients through organ donation. In an inspiring yet deeply emotional moment, the parents of 16-month-old Master Janmesh Lenka made a courageous decision that turned their personal tragedy into a beacon of hope for others.

Janmesh, who was admitted to the Pediatric Department of AIIMS Bhubaneswar on February 12, under the care of Dr Krishna Mohan Gulla, suffered from foreign body aspiration and choking. Despite receiving immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the relentless efforts of the intensive care team to stabilize him over the following two weeks, the child was declared brain dead on March 1, as stated in the release.

https://x.com/AIIMSBhubaneswr/status/1896557879597072442

Recognizing the possibility of giving the gift of life to others, the medical team at AIIMS Bhubaneswar counselled the grieving parents about organ donation. With immense strength and compassion, they consented, allowing their child's organs to be used for life-saving transplants.

Following the consent, a multidisciplinary team of surgeons and transplant coordinators swiftly facilitated the retrieval and transplantation process.

The liver was successfully retrieved by the gastro-surgery team led by Dr. Brahmadutt Patnaik and was transported to the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in New Delhi, where it was transplanted into a child suffering from end-stage liver failure.

The kidneys were retrieved and transplanted en bloc into a single adolescent patient at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. This complex surgical procedure was successfully performed under the leadership of Dr Prasant Nayak from the Urology Department.

According to AIIMS, this case is historically significant as Janmesh became the youngest organ donor in the state of Odisha. Additionally, this was only the second instance of en-bloc kidney transplantation in the state, a highly specialized surgical approach where both kidneys from a pediatric donor are transplanted together into a single recipient.

The Executive Director of AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Prof. Dr Ashutosh Biswas, commended the transplant coordination team and the medical professionals involved, highlighting their relentless efforts in ensuring the successful execution of the organ retrieval and transplantation process.

The story of master Janmesh Lenka and his parents' decision serves as a powerful reminder of the impact of organ donation, especially in pediatric cases. Even in the face of unbearable loss, the decision made by Janmesh's parents stands as a testament to human kindness and resilience. It may be noted here that the father of Master Janmesh has been working as a hostel warden at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.