An Indian Army soldier who suffered a brain stroke while serving at an altitude of 16,000 feet in Ladakh has given six families a new lease of life after his family decided to donate his organs following his death.
Naib Risaldar Virender Singh suffered a brain stroke while deployed in Ladakh and was given immediate medical assistance, officials said. He was subsequently airlifted to Command Hospital (Western Command) at Chandimandir on July 16.
Despite intensive treatment, Singh did not recover and was declared brain dead on July 21.
Following this, his wife, Kusum, consented to donating his organs, a decision that enabled doctors to retrieve his two kidneys, liver, both lungs and both corneas for transplantation, according to news agency PTI.
The organs were allocated through the national organ-sharing network, giving six families a new lease of life.
According to the Army, one kidney and both corneas were transplanted at Command Hospital, while the second kidney was sent to the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO), Haryana.
His liver was transported to Army Hospital (Research and Referral) in New Delhi, while the lungs were sent to KIMS Hospital in Hyderabad.
The retrieval of Singh's lungs also marked a medical milestone for Command Hospital (Western Command), as the Army said it was the first successful lung retrieval in the hospital's history.
A green corridor was established with the coordinated efforts of the military police, civil administration and local authorities to ensure that the donated organs reached their destinations in time.
The Indian Army paid tribute to Naib Risaldar Virender Singh and praised his wife for her selfless decision to donate his organs. The Army said the gesture would inspire more people to pledge their organs for donation.
“We honour Smt Kusum's extraordinary courage and compassion. In the face of immense grief, her decision to donate her husband's organs will give a renewed lease of life to six people,” the Western Command said in the tweet.
The tweet further said, “The Indian Army salutes the supreme sacrifice of Nb Risaldar Virender Singh and the indomitable spirit of Smt Kusum. Their selfless act will forever stand as a shining example of courage, humanity, resilience and compassion.”
