V-P reaches out to family of migrant labourer who lit up six lives in his death

Shivnath had pledged his body organs. Six people renewed their lives in his death: two got an eye each, another two got his kidneys, one his liver, and the luckiest perhaps got his heart.

The vice-president was eloquent in a statement to The Sunday Express: ‘‘I was completely awe-struck … There is no bigger sacrifice than organ donation … Shivnath’s example is an inspiration for others.’’

The story goes back to January 23, when Ramesh Chandra, resident of a Delhi slum, came to the Vice-President’s Office and pleaded for help with his heart ailment. Shekhawat sent Chandra to AIIMS and to cardiologist Dr P. Venugopal. On the very day, Shivnath died at AIIMS, hours after being hit by a truck while walking home from work.

‘‘Shivnath had pledged all his organs before dying. Dr Venugopal transplated Chandra’s heart with that of Shivnath… Some days later, when the vice-president went to check on Ramesh Chandra, whom he never knew earlier, he learnt of Shivnath’s sacrifice,’’ says K.L. Kochar, press advisor to the vice-president.

Shekhawat was also told one of Shivnath’s kidneys had gone to another AIIMS inmate, Ajay Bharti. The other had found its way to the Sainik Hospital, where it saved a soldier’s wife. Shivnath’s liver went to Chandrama Bhuian. His eyes had helped Bashika Singla and Fauja Singh to see.

Moved by the story, Shekhawat asked for details about the dead man. All that was known was that Shivnath came from a village in Ghazipur district, 900 km from Delhi. Shekhawat did not forget Shivnath Singh. When he toured Ghazipur recently, Kochar says, ‘‘he asked district magistrate K.M. Pandey and local MP Manoj Sinha to help trace the family.’’

It was Sinha who succeeded. ‘‘I wrote to the Vice-President’s Office saying that his family lived in Osawan village in Ghazipur,’’ says Sinha. ‘‘His widow Fulhera Devi has a 19-year-old daughter and two sons, 18 and 15 … Devi herself works as a maid and can barely make ends meet.’’

“I got very emotional on hearing this,” recalls Shekhawat. ‘‘Her husband gave a fresh life to six persons and his family was living in such abject circumstances. I sent a cheque of Rs 1 lakh from my personal fund to former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Jagdambika Pal. I have asked him to pass my message to the widow that I would personally come to bless the couple when her daughter got married.’’

Fulhere, who earns just Rs 600 a month, was left dumbstruck by the cavalcade of cars that brought Jagdambika Pal to her door on Friday evening. ‘‘Bahut achha laga … humne to kabhi socha bhi nahi tha ke hume itna samman milega,’’ she told The Sunday Express on the telephone, ‘‘hamara pura gaon Shekhawatji ke gun ga raha hai.’’

As for her husband, who had left home 10 years ago to find work in the big city, she stressed he was only ‘‘following a family tradition … Earlier his father had donated all his organs.’’