Surinder’s two kidneys, pancreas and corneas were retrieved at PGIMER, giving four people a chance at a new lease of life.(Representational imag/Pixabay)At just 18, Surinder Kaur’s life came to a tragic end following a road accident. But in the midst of their grief, her family made a decision that gave four others a chance at a new beginning.A resident of Teur village in Kharar, Surinder was admitted to PGIMER on August 23 after the accident. Despite the best efforts of doctors, she suffered an irreversible neurological injury and was declared brain-stem dead by the Brain Stem Death Committee on August 25.For her mother, Santosh Kaur, the loss was unimaginable. Yet, she consented to the donation of Surinder’s organs and tissues. Surinder Kaur was admitted to PGIMER on August 23 after the accident. (Special Arrangement)“We cannot bring Surinder back, but we felt that if a part of her could continue to live through someone else, then her life would continue to have meaning,” Santosh said.Surinder’s two kidneys, pancreas and corneas were retrieved at PGIMER, giving four people a chance at a new lease of life.One kidney and the pancreas were transplanted simultaneously into a 31-year-old man in a complex simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant. Her second kidney was transplanted into a 15-year-old recipient, while her corneas will be transplanted into two recipients.The transplant involving the 31-year-old man was particularly challenging. He had undergone a kidney transplant from his mother seven years ago, but the graft had subsequently failed. He had also exhausted dialysis-access options after major veins in both his upper and lower limbs became blocked.Story continues below this adDoctors had to remove the failed transplanted kidney, repair the iliac vein and perform the kidney-pancreas transplant amid extensive collateral veins. The surgery lasted nearly 13 hours, with multiple teams working for almost 18 hours.Prof Ashish Sharma, Head of the Department of Renal Transplant Surgery, described the procedures as exceptionally complex.Behind the successful transplants was also a family struggling to come to terms with an unbearable loss. According to Transplant Coordinator Dr Navdeep Bansal, Surinder’s relative, Surjit Singh, who works at PGIMER, helped the family understand the significance of organ donation.“At a time of unimaginable personal loss, Surinder’s family chose to give hope to others,” PGIMER Director Prof Vivek Lal said, describing organ donation as one of the most profound expressions of humanity.Story continues below this adThe transplant teams, anaesthetists, coordinators and support staff worked against time — from identifying the donor and completing brain-stem death certification to counselling the family, retrieving the organs and preparing the recipients.Prof H S Kohli, Head of Nephrology, said both kidney recipients had been on long term dialysis, making timely preparation and coordinated multidisciplinary care crucial.For Surinder’s family, however, the procedures and numbers tell only part of the story. Behind every transplant is the memory of a young woman whose life was cut short — and a family that, in its darkest hour, chose to help others live on.“We hope that the people who receive her organs live healthy and happy lives,” her mother said.