The parents of Sachini Lakshani Galappaththi, a Peradeniya University student who died while receiving treatment at the Kandy National Hospital after being seriously injured in a car accident, have taken steps to donate her organs for transplant.
She was hit by a car in front of the Hilda Obeysekera hostel on the Galaha road in Peradeniya on October 31 and suffered serious head injuries. Her parents decided to donate their daughter’s organs to save the lives of several other patients after the doctors informed them that she was brain dead while being treated at theNeurosurgery Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital.
Accordingly, her two kidneys were successfully transplanted to a 47-year-old woman from Matale and a 27-year-old man from Ratnapura at the kidney unit of the Kandy National Hospital. Consultant surgeon Dr.Charitha Fernando, performed the kidney transplant surgeries and the coordination work has been done by Anura Ratnayake and .M.Jayawardena, nurses of the organ transplant unit. The parents have also taken steps to donate the eyes of the deceased student. The doctors said that the student’s blood pressure was very low on many occasions and due to many other factors as well, her brain, lungs and liver were not available for transplanting. Professor of the Peradeniya University Faculty of Dentistry, Senior Student Advisor Shyama Kumara Banneheka commenting on the death of the student said the deceased was staying in the Ramanathan hostel. She met with an accident in front of the Hilda Obeysekera hostel when she was going to her own hostel with two other students. She passed away five days after celebrating her 23rd birthday. This student was not conscious since the time of the accident.
After being admitted to Peradeniya and receiving treatment, she was transferred to the Kandy National Hospital.
Sanath Galappaththi, father of Sachini Lakshani said: I was aware of the fact that even if it was not possible to save the life of a person who was brain dead, that person’s organs could be donated to give life to other people. When doctors and nurses told us about the condition our daughter was in, I realized that it was not possible to save her life. I told them to take her organs for donation. Even then the doctor said that their biggest responsibility was to try and save her life. We saw that our daughter was becoming weaker and weaker. Doctors told us that she was brain dead. Then I told them to remove her organs and give life to someone else.
I donated all my daughter’s organs, hoping that no future soul would suffer such an untimely death. Sachini’s funeral was held yesterday (11) in Tangalle with the participation of a large number of university teachers and students. Photographs: Sachini Lakshani.
by Daily News Sri Lanka
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