Published on August 30, 2023
AHMEDABAD: Kamini Patel, a resident of Anand, got a brother in Surat-based Bhupendra Vatnala. The two are connected by a liver donation by Vatnala’s family after his father was declared brain-dead in 2014. The families are connected today beyond Rakshabandhan and participate even in each other’s rituals during marriages.
“My father was declared brain-dead in February 2014. His liver and kidneys were retrieved and donated. We decided to donate his organs after counsellors told us that his body would become ash anyway. The liver went to Kamini Patel.
While the donation gave her a new lease of life, it also forged a bond between the families,” said Vatnala, 31, who is in the photography and videography business.
He attended Kamini’s elder sister’s wedding in 2016, whereas when he got married, the entire Patel family participated. At Kamini’s wedding in 2021, the Vatnala family reciprocated. “I did all the videography and photography of the event and also participated in the rituals. A part of my father lives in her, and we believe this is a bond stronger than any other,” said Vatnala.
Nilesh Mandlewala, founder of Donate Life Foundation, said there are many instances where organ donations have joined families. “An organ donated not only gives a new lease on life, but it also makes one realize that death is not the end – a person can live on through others,” he said.
Parth Shastri Archive 