Couple donates newborn’s body to AIIMS with a heavy heart to save other lives

Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh Based All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) was witness to a profound act of humanity leaving everyone in tears as a couple decided to donate the body of their eight-day-old daughter to the institute for medical education with a heavy heart, saying their baby will bring hope to new lives in future.

Hansi Devi from Chamoli, wife of Sandeep Ram, gave birth to a baby girl at Srinagar Medical College on January 2. The infant was born with missing nerve clusters (ganglia) in her intestines. Upon being referred, the family approached AIIMS Rishikesh on January 4. After an unsuccessful surgery, the newborn succumbed to post operation refractory septic shock on January 11.

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As the family of the deceased baby was in grief, the AIIMS nursing staff put them in touch with an NGO Mohan Foundation Uttarakhand and Gopal Narang, Charter President of the Lions Club Rishikesh.

Members of the Mohan Foundation and Narang convinced the family for the body donation of their child. After that, legal formalities of handing over the body were completed with the family’s consent.

Following this, AIIMS PRO Dr Shriloy Mohanty confirmed that an eight-day-old infant had died during the treatment and the family had donated the body to the institute.

The infant’s father, Sandeep Ram, said, “Our child had a serious intestinal disease from birth. Despite all efforts, we could not save her. This is the greatest sorrow of our lives. Later, we thought that even though our child could not live in this world, her body could become a ray of hope for the lives of other children.”

According to Sandeep, students here will be able to study and conduct research using the infant’s body, helping them save the lives of other innocent children.

“Behind this difficult decision, there was only one sentiment — that our child’s death might save someone else’s life. With this idea, we dedicated our newborn’s body for the study of medical students and for a human cause.”