On June 26, 2019, MOHAN Foundation conducted an awareness talk on organ donation at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. Ms. Pallavi Kumar was the speaker at the session.

Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, established in 1959, is one of the premier institutions established by the Government of India. The aim of the Institute is to provide meaningful education, to conduct original research of the highest standard and to provide leadership in technological innovation. The session was organized by the Community Welfare Cell of the Institute as part of the run-up to the convocation for 2019.

The session began with Pallavi asking the students if any one of them had any personal experience of friends or family awaiting a transplant or have undergone one. One of the students got up to share how he had lost his father to liver failure two years ago. He shared that none of the family members were suitable or matching donors and he was on the state waiting list but died due to complications before he could receive a deceased liver donation.

Another sharing by a student of how his family had donated his grandmother’s corneas was also very effective. He shared that his grandma had expressed her wishes during her lifetime and the family honored the same.

The sharing by these two students sparked an interesting discussion and set the tone for the talk as everyone present realized the reality of organ shortage in the country and how it could affect any one of them directly and also that each one of them could contribute in one way or the other.

Pallavi then explained the basic concepts of organ donation and transplantation with the help of a simple, easily comprehensible PowerPoint presentation. When speaking on the subject of brain death, a short video was shown for better understanding and clarity.

Students asked a lot of questions post the presentation and there was a vibrant discussion.

Close to 30 students attended the session.