In death, 23-year-old student gives new lease of life to three

In an inspiring act of compassion amid personal tragedy, the family of 23-year-old Navneet Singh, an engineering student from Kangra district, donated his organs after he was declared brain dead at the PGIMER here. He fell off a rooftop on July 3.

Declared brain dead on July 11 in accordance with Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA) protocols, Navneet’s heart, kidneys and pancreas were retrieved by the PGI teams. His heart was allocated to a matching recipient at RML Hospital in New Delhi, as no suitable recipient was available at the PGIMER.

A dedicated green corridor, involving Chandigarh and Mohali police, CISF, and airport authorities ensured the heart reached Chandigarh International Airport in time for a 5:45 am Indigo flight to Delhi today, saving the life of a 26-year-old patient.

At the PGIMER, a simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplant was performed on one recipient, marking the institute’s 63rd pancreas transplant — the highest in India — and curing a patient of Type 1 diabetes. The second kidney was transplanted on another patient suffering from end-stage renal failure.

Navneet’s father, Janak Singh, called the decision to donate his son’s organs the hardest yet most meaningful choice their family had made. “Knowing that Navneet gave others a second chance at life brings us some peace,” he said. Janak Singh’s wife Anju, daughter Pooja, and mother Satya Devi supported the decision, reflecting courage and selflessness.

The PGI authorities said the family’s action not only saved lives but also reaffirmed the life-changing impact of organ donation, offering hope to countless others and setting a powerful example of humanity.

Chandigarh