When the entire country was engrossed in Durga Puja festivities and giving in to sweet cravings on Vijaya Dasami, the family of a 22 year old very silently, decided to make a difference to the society.

Edla Raju who belongs to a small village, Gudoor in Karimnagar district, worked as a two wheeler mechanic. On 27th September, while riding a motorcycle, he had a fall that resulted in a serious head injury. He was immediately rushed to Osmania Hospital, where he was hospitalized. The very next day, he was declared "brain dead". Although Raju's father, Kistaiah is a farmer, he knew exactly what needs to be done. Though in great grief with the loss of his loving son, he asked the doctors, "I would like to have my son live on, can we donate all his organs?"

Mr. K. Raghuram, Convener, MOHAN Foundation swung into action immediately, and obtained the written consent from the family. Raju's heart, kidneys, liver, and eyes were retrieved today, that gave a new lease of life to four patients and gift of sight to two.

Raju's brother in law, Srinivas, said, "I run an orphanage in Karimnagar, and I know what the needs of the society are, and this organ donation is one way of giving back to the society. I am proud that Raju's organs could be donated and that is helping the needy patients". Yet another new initiative that has occurred during this donation is that the heart valves of heart recipient were retrieved by Innova Hospital for use of their patients.

Raju's story is a fine example of generosity, and a great human spirit. The family's gesture demonstrates that there is a latent desire in everyone to "make a difference".

About MOHAN Foundation Hyderabad

MOHAN Foundation is a NGO that started its operations in 1997 in Chennai. It started it Hyderabad operations in 2003. The word MOHAN is an acronym for "Multi Organ Harvesting Aid Network." MOHAN Foundation is a voluntary, non-profit organization that has popularized the cause of organ donation amongst the general masses in India.

MOHAN Foundation is committed to the cause of organ donation especially deceased donations. The foundation works as a support group for the 'Public, Patients and Physicians' and facilitates the whole process of donation by counseling the families for organs and sometimes placing the needy organs in hospitals and ensuring that they are not wasted.

The foundation has so far distributed almost half a million organ donor cards and the Priceless Gift brochures (Organ Donation leaflet) in various Indian languages besides English. MOHAN Foundation has facilitated over 450 of the 1450 cadaver organ transplants done in India. Today' donation was happened to be the 76th organ donation facilitated by MOHAN Foundation, Hyderabad - there have been 214 corneal donations and 162 solid organs donation (includes, kidneys, Liver and Heart) making a total of 376 donations from Hyderabad.

For more information on the donation and for the photograph of the donor please contact Mr. K. Raghuram, Convener, MOHAN Foundation, Andhra Pradesh. Cell number - 91- 939245 6355 , e-mail - [email protected]