The Hindu : National : Harshita is no more, yet she lives on

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National

Harshita is no more, yet she lives on

Staff Reporter

- PHOTO: V. SUDERSHAN

Mahendar, Asha and Chaitanya Bharech, father, mother and brother of 17-year-old Harshita Bharech, whose kidneys, liver, corneas and heart valves were donated after she was declared brain dead at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on April 29, during a media interaction, in New Delhi on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: Seventeen-year-old Harshita was declared brain dead on April 29 at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here. But today, she lives on through the lives of five other people who were donated her organs. Her father, Mahender Bharech, who, along with his wife, Asha, took the tough decision to donate his daughter's organs, admitted to as much at a press conference on Saturday.

“Letting my daughter go was the most difficult decision that I have had to take. But what gives me the strength to go on is the fact that she continues to live in the hearts and lives of the people whom she had helped,” said Mr. Bharech, who decided to donate Harshita's organs.

Harshita was hospitalised for ulcerative colitis with bilateral hemorrhagic infarct. A decompression surgery was performed but prognosis remained grave. She was declared brain dead, and her parents decided to let their daughter go so that her retrieved organs could give a new lease of life to others.

“Through her donation, Harshita has managed to save the lives of five other people. Doctors at the hospital were successful in retrieving her kidneys, liver, corneas and heart valves. Already, Harshita's liver and one of her kidney have been successfully transplanted into two of Sir Ganga Ram's in-patients. The other organs were shared with other transplant centres in the city. Of course, it goes without saying that it required tremendous faith and goodwill on the part of Harshita's parents to make this gesture,” said the hospital's Management Board chairman B.K. Rao, while announcing the successful donation.

Still coming to terms with his personal loss, Mr. Bharech said: “When the doctors at the hospital told us that our daughter was brain dead and that there was very little chance of even a miracle happening, I turned to my wife and son. My son told me I should let Harshita go and ensure that her organs were donated. His conviction on the issue made me sure that we were on the right path and that we had to let our daughter go.

“This isn't the first time that we have had people donating organs in the family. My father and mother donated their eyes and though I wanted my daughter to stay with me, no matter her state, the doctors were giving her back to me and I also had to look at the practical side of it. The decision to let my child go hasn't been an easy one but my family was sure that this was best for Harshita. Today, we want to promote a powerful campaign for organ donation to ensure that there are more donors,” he said.

His wife also insisted that the family took the right decision. “I believe that my daughter continues to live through the people who have had a new lease of life because of her organ donation.” Also present at the conference were teachers and friends of Harshita who had come to support the family.

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