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Journalism of Courage
At a time when kidney transplant rackets thrive across the country,a Kerala-based businessman has come forward to donate his kidney to a poor truck driver.
Kochouseph Chittilappilly is the managing director of Kochi-based V-Guard Industries Limited,which had a Rs 454.09 crore turnover last fiscal. One-and-a-half months from now,Chittilappilly would become the first depositor with kidney bank,promoted by the Kidney Federation of India (KFI). The businessman was inspired by Catholic priest David Chiramel,who had set an example in kidney donation in 2009,by allowing one of his kidneys to be harvested to save the life of a carpenter. The priest,who had said that he was practicing what he was preaching,floated KFI later.
Chiramel said Chittilappilly has become the first in a chain of kidney depositors. He is allowing the harvest of kidney at the age of 60. He is the first to donate the kidney in this chain,which does not involve any money transaction. Around 1,000 patients have registered with the KFI,asking for non-related donors. We have put a condition that we would give you a kidney and in return,the patient has to find a depositor for the bank. The system is similar to the functioning of a blood bank, said Chiramel.
Chittilappilly would donate kidney for truck driver Joy John,a native of Kottayam,without any conditions. Joy Johns wife Jolly would donate her kidney to Shamsudeen,a native of Thrissur. Shamsudheens wife Sainaba would allow harvesting her kidney for John,a native of Thrissur. Johns mother will give a kidney for T S Biju of Thrissur. The chain ends at Bjiu as he is unable to find a donor from his family. My mother is a patient and we do not have the money to meet the expenses of transplantation, said Biju.
Chittilappilly said that he had seen the exploitation in kidney transplantation involving non-related donors when his relative,a kidney patient,was under treatment. I had thought about donating my kidney at that time. But the patient died. Later,I heard that Fr Chiramel had donated his kidney to a person who was no way related to him, he said. Chiramel approached Chittilappilly when he floated the kidney bank. The decision was taken after discussing with the doctors.
Joy said his family would be indebted to Chittilappilly. For 10 months I have been undergoing dialysis twice a week. It would be a second birth for me. I had neither seen nor talked to Chittilappilly till now. Yesterday I came to know that the businessman would be my savior, he said.
All formalities for kidney transplantation involving Chittilappilly and Joy would be completed by the end of February.
