A Spanish tourist visiting Mumbai, Teresa Fernandez, has saved the lives of five individuals after she was declared brain dead following a collapse on a bus. Fernandez, 67, was on a tour to the Elephanta Caves with her group when she collapsed while returning to the city. She was rushed to the Jaslok Hospital, where doctors determined that she had suffered a massive brain bleed.
Despite efforts to minimise the bleeding through surgery, the procedure was not successful, and Fernandez was declared brain dead through an apnea test.
Fernandez's daughter, Perez, made the decision to donate her mother's organs, allowing for her heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys to be given to local patients. Fernandez's heart was even flown to Chennai to save the life of a Lebanese patient. The donation was coordinated by the Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO) in Maharashtra, which monitors transplants in the region.
According to Times India, Fernandez had recently retired from a hospital, where she was attached to the pharmacy and microbiology departments. After her retirement, she had traveled to Iceland and South Korea. Her daughter, who is a doctor in Spain, shared that Fernandez had a history of blood pressure issues.
This marks the second cadaver donation of the year in Mumbai and the first bone donation in five months. Organ donation awareness is being raised in the city, with officials highlighting that in addition to organs, many tissues can also be donated, including skin, bones, and ligaments.
Dr. Bharat Shah, General Secretary of the Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre, said in a statement, "People are now aware that organs can be donated. Donating a heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas and intestine are now common. Even hands are being donated. We are now trying to raise awareness of the fact that many tissues can be donated. This includes skin, bones, ligaments etc."
Neurosurgeon Dr. Sudheer Ambekar also praised the decision to donate Fernandez's organs, saying, "We didn’t even need to counsel them for the donation as they themselves wanted to donate. They showed how humanity is not restricted within geographical borders by setting an example for all of us," according to a report by The Indian Express.
Teresa Fernandez's selfless act of organ donation has saved the lives of five individuals and serves as a powerful reminder of the impact that organ donation can have. Her legacy lives on through the lives saved by her donation.
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