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Gift of Life Institute’s (GOLI) Mini Fellowship in Organ Donation 2018

From Oct 28th 2018 to Nov 7th, 2018

MOHAN USA sponsored the Gift of Life Institute’s (GOLI) Mini Fellowship in Organ Donation from Oct 28, 2018 to Nov 7, 2018 for executives in organ donation organizations from India.

Ms Pallavi Kumar, Executive Director, MOHAN Foundation India and Ms Arati Gokhale, Convenor ZTCC (Zonal Transplant Coordination Committee) Pune completed the Gift of Life Institute’s (GOLI) Mini Fellowship in Organ Donation from October 15 to 26, 2018. One of the objectives of the agreement was facilitating the enhancement of the deceased donation and transplantation programme in India through education and training of donation and transplantation professionals in the country.

Gift of Life Donor Program manages  every facet of the donation process, coordinates the recovery of organs and tissues, and allocates the organs to  suitable recipients as per UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) allocation policies. All these aspects were covered by the experts during several didactic sessions.

The participants also attended a Workshop on Family Empowerment through Effective Advocacy: Averting and Overcoming Obstacles to Donation and a a Donation Champion Learning Session titled ‘Supporting Families and Sharing Best Practices’.

Pallavi and Arati also had an opportunity to attend “Life and Legacy” – an event held to honor Organ, Tissue and Cornea Donors and their families for their generous gifts. The event was held at Blackwood, New Jersey on October 21, 2018.

Educational event in association American Society of Transplantation (AST)

MOHAN USA organized an educational event in association American Society of Transplantation (AST) in Seattle on June 2, 2018

MOHAN USA, in association with American Society of Transplantation (AST), organized a special event on the 2nd of June 2018 at Seattle, Washington. The educational event, titled, ‘Strategies to Increase Awareness and Organ Donation Rates Amongst Minorities’ coincided with the American Transplant Congress, the largest gathering of over 5,000 transplant professionals from all over the world, being held in the same city.

Moderated by Dr. Anil Chandraker, Past President of the AST, the educational event saw a sold-out crowd listen to many speakers present their work on this topic. The opening remarks were delivered by Dr.Anirban Bose, President of MOHAN USA, following which Dr. Sundaram Hariharan enlightened us about the objectives of his organization Transplant Professionals of Indian Origin (TPIO). Ms. Claire Bonilla CEO of SightLife gave a superb talk, bringing into focus, the importance of local cultural sensitivities in the field of organ and tissue donation.

Next to speak was Dr. Clive Callendar, the evening’s Keynote Speaker, who delivered an inspirational tale of his life’s work, his journey in the founding of the Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program MOTTEP, the hugely successful program to increase donor registration and organ donation amongst the African American community in the US. He was followed by his protégé, Dr. Keith Melancon, Professor of surgery at George Washington University, who enlightened the attendees on the outcomes of organ transplants among minorities.

Next on stage was Dr.Randeep Kashyap, surgical director of Kidney transplant at the University of Rochester, whose research focused on using primary care physician offices as effective enrolment venues for organ donor registration. This was followed by an impassioned lecture by Mr. Kevin O’Conner, president and CEO of Life Center Northwest, the most successful Organ Procurement Organization in the country on the key strategies to increase organ donation and registration.

The final presentation was by Dr. Sunil Shroff, founding trustee of MOHAN Foundation, who touched on the salient points about organ donation patterns in South Asia and the local topics and sensitivities that affect it.

A lively debate and discussion ensued at the end of the lectures about potential strategies to increase organ donation among minorities, especially South Asians, who have a significant burden of disease, but a low organ donor registration and consent rate. Dr. Callendar’s talk was very revealing as the audience learned how the rate of donations among the black population has risen over a decade due to public engagement and creating community awareness by MOTTEP at the grassroot level. Thanks to their work, the latest UNOS data shows that the rate of donation among blacks is either comparable or better than most ethnic groups in the country.

It was also evident that there is very little data in the literature about organ donation and registration rates among the South Asian population. Based on the personal experiences of the experts present at the meeting, it was felt that there is a great need to engage this community in this process and reach out to them at the grassroot level to increase their participation in both organ donation and registration. There was unanimous agreement that it was vitally important to perform more research on this topic and Dr. Callendar and Melancon offered help with their expertise to MOHAN USA to get in step with the logistics of research.

Promoting Ethical Organ Donation & Saving Lives!

2nd of June 2018 at Seattle, Washington

  • MOHAN USA, (Multi Organ Harvesting Aid Network) in association with American Society of Transplantation (AST) organized a special event on organ donation
  • The theme for the event was ‘Strategies to Increase Awareness and Organ Donation Rates Amongst Minorities
  • Dr. Clive Callendar the Keynote Speaker delivered an inspirational story on how his organisation helped to improve the organ donation rates among American Black community and bring it on par with the white community
  • MOHAN USA, in association with American Society of Transplantation (AST), organized a special event on the 2nd of June 2018 at Seattle, Washington. The educational event, titled, ‘Strategies to Increase Awareness and Organ Donation Rates Amongst Minorities’ coincided with the American Transplant Congress, the largest gathering of over 5,000 transplant professionals from all over the world, being held in the same city.

Moderated by Dr. Anil Chandraker, Past President of the AST, the educational event saw a sold out crowd listen to many speakers present their work on this topic. The opening remarks were delivered by Dr.Anirban Bose, President of MOHAN USA, following which Dr. Sundaram Hariharan enlightened us about the objectives of his organization Transplant Professionals of Indian Origin (TPIO). Ms. Claire Bonilla CEO of SightLife gave a superb talk, bringing into focus, the importance of local cultural sensitivities in the field of organ and tissue donation.

Next to speak was Dr. Clive Callendar, the evening’s Keynote Speaker, who delivered an inspirational tale of his life’s work, his journey in the founding of the Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program MOTTEP, the hugely successful program to increase donor registration and organ donation amongst the African American community in the US. He was followed by his protégé, Dr. Keith Melancon, Professor of surgery at George Washington University, who enlightened the attendees on the outcomes of organ transplants among minorities.

Next on stage was Dr.Randeep Kashyap, surgical director of Kidney transplant at the University of Rochester, whose research focused on using primary care physician offices as effective enrolment venues for organ donor registration. This was followed by an impassioned lecture by Mr. Kevin O’Conner, president and CEO of Life Center Northwest, the most successful Organ Procurement Organization in the country on the key strategies to increase organ donation and registration.

The final presentation was by Dr. Sunil Shroff, founding trustee of MOHAN Foundation, who touched on the salient points about organ donation patterns in South Asia and the local topics and sensitivities that affect it.

The Impact

A lively debate and discussion ensued at the end of the lectures about potential strategies to increase organ donation among minorities, especially South Asians, who have a significant burden of disease, but a low organ donor registration and consent rate. Dr. Callendar’s talk was very revealing as the audience learned how the rate of donations among the black population has risen over a decade due to public engagement and creating community awareness by MOTTEP at the grassroot level. Thanks to their work, the latest UNOS data shows that the rate of donation among blacks is either comparable or better than most ethnic groups in the country.

It was also evident that there is very little data in the literature about organ donation and registration rates among the South Asian population. Based on the personal experiences of the experts present at the meeting, it was felt that there is a great need to engage this community in this process and reach out to them at the grassroot level to increase their participation in both organ donation and registration. There was unanimous agreement that it was vitally important to perform more research on this topic and Dr. Callendar and Melancon offered help with their expertise to MOHAN USA to get in step with the logistics of research.

Sevathon 2015

June 2nd, 2018,

MOHAN USA held their second annual fundraiser and Charity Gala in Seattle on Saturday, June 2nd, 2018.

MOHAN USA’s Second Annual Fundraiser and Charity Gala was held on Saturday, June 2, 2018 at Seattle. It was organized and managed by MOHAN USA members and volunteers based in Seattle including Dr. Nidyanandh Vadivel and Yash Shroff. It was publicized via social media and emails and attended by over 150 guests from the Seattle area as well as MOHAN USA supporters from around the country and several guests from India.

The event was a gala evening of live music and entertainment performances, interspersed with inspiring talks about the work and mission of MOHAN USA and its partners including MOHAN Foundation. The audience also generously donated to the cause. This was followed by a grand buffet style dinner and music and dancing. Overall, the fundraiser and gala event was enjoyed by everyone and a grand success.

Case story- Baby Hafsa Qureshi

 

On November 22, 2022, MOHAN Foundation’s Anudaan- “Making Transplants Affordable” team received an email from Nanavati Max Super Specialty hospital, Mumbai requesting financial aid for Baby Hafsa Qureshi’s liver transplant, who was suffering from autoimmune hepatitis with decompensated liver disease and needed an urgent liver transplant. 

Baby Hafsa, age 7, hails from Jogeshwari West, Mumbai.  She belongs to a middle-class family. Her father works as a site supervisor. But after the covid-19 pandemic started, their family income took a massive hit. They were somehow managing their family expenses, however Hafsa’s multiple hospitalizations drained them completely.  With the meager income of the family, it was very tough for them to pay the huge cost i.e., Rs. 16.5 Lakh for Hafsa’s liver transplant. 

“Hafsa needs an urgent liver transplant. Her liver failure won’t let her live long. We must make no delay in the liver transplant,” the doctor explained to the parents. 

A few tests later, the mother was found to be a perfect match for her child. The family then discussed about their economic challenges with the doctors at Nanavati Max Super Specialty hospital. The parents were informed about MOHAN Foundation’s Anudaan. With support from Anudaan and few other NGOs, Baby Hafsa successfully underwent a liver transplant on December 02, 2022. MOHAN Foundation sanctioned Rs. 50,000 for her liver transplant.

Hafsa is blessed with a second life. She is excited for her future and wants to be an educator.

“It means a lot to me and I am so happy now to see that my daughter is doing well after so much pain and suffering. Lots of gratitude to MOHAN Foundation for their quick and timely financial support.”-Mr. Farooq Qureshi, Father

Case story- Fahim Shaikh

On September 20, 2022, MOHAN Foundation’s Anudaan- “Making Transplants Affordable” team received an email from Nanavati Max Super specialty hospital, Mumbai requesting financial aid for Master Fahim Shaikh’s liver transplant, who was suffering from Hepatoblastoma and needed an urgent liver transplant. 

Master Fahim Shaikh, age 2 years hails from Mumbai. He belongs to a poor family. His father is a tailor. He has three more sons who are older than Fahim, pursuing their primary education. With the meager income of the family, it was very tough for them to pay a huge cost i.e., Rs. 16.5 Lakh for Fahim’s liver transplant. The situation worsened when the father had to temporarily quit his work to pursue Fahim’s medical treatment. 

At Nanavati Max Super specialty hospital, the family was informed that their child was in need of an urgent liver transplant. A couple of tests later, Fahim’s mother was found to be a perfect match for her son. The estimated cost of the liver transplant was Rs.16.5 lakh. 

After the family discussed about their poor economic condition with the doctors at Nanavati Max Super specialty hospital, they were informed about MOHAN Foundation’s Anudaan from where they could receive financial support. This information gave them a new hope. With support from Anudaan, few other NGOs and the hospital’s concession on transplant cost, Master Fahim Shaikh successfully underwent a liver transplant on November 09, 2022.

MOHAN Foundation sanctioned Rs. 1 lakh for his liver transplant. 

Both mother and son are recovering well. Fahim’s family is very happy to see their son resume a normal life and are excited to see him going to school. His parents aspire for Fahim to become a police officer. 

“I am really thankful to MOHAN Foundation’s Anudaan team for saving my son’s life.” – Imtiyaz Shaikh (Father)

Case story -Ms Priya Suresh Jadhav

n November 2, 2022, MOHAN Foundation’s Anudaan- “Making Transplants Affordable” team received an email from Bombay Hospital & Medical Research Center, Mumbai requesting financial aid for Ms Priya Suresh Jadhav, who was suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and was on maintenance dialysis. She needed an urgent kidney transplant to be able to survive.

Ms Priya Jadhav, age 23, hails from Pune, Maharashtra.  She belongs to an underprivileged family. Her father is a farmer & a daily wage labourer in Pune. With the meager family income, her family could not afford to pay the huge cost of the kidney transplant, i.e.; Rs. 7.5 Lakh. 

Few years ago, Priya started having pale eyes and stomach pain. She used to vomit whatever she was eating. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment, where it was found that Priya was suffering from a chronic kidney disease. She was then referred to Bombay Hospital for further and better treatment. 

Her mother, Mrs. Manisha Suresh Jadhav came forward to donate one of her kidney to save her beloved daughter’s life. After the parents discussed about their poor economic situation, the doctors & transplant coordinators at Bombay Hospital informed them about MOHAN Foundation’s Anudaan. 

With support from Anudaan, few other NGOs and the hospital’s concession on transplant cost, Ms Priya Jadhav successfully underwent a kidney transplant on November 05, 2022. MOHAN Foundation sanctioned Rs. 75,000 for her kidney transplant. 

Both the mother and daughter are doing well. Ms Priya is very happy and excited for her future. She wants to be a doctor so that she can serve the underprivileged patients like her. 

“Many thanks and lots of gratitude to MOHAN Foundation’s Anudaan team for saving my daughter’s life with their financial support.” – Mr. Suresh Jadhav, Father

Case story- Master Nibhish Yogesh

On September 27, 2022, MOHAN Foundation’s Anudaan- “Making Transplants Affordable” team received an email from Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children, Acharya Donde Marg, Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, requesting financial aid for liver transplant for Master Nibhish Yogesh, who was suffering from liver disease with PFIC-2, portal hypertension with decompensated CLD, which has been affecting his liver. Portal hypertension is defined as the pathological increase of portal venous pressure, mainly due to chronic end-stage liver disease, leading to augmented hepatic vascular resistance and congestion of the blood in the portal venous system.

Nibhish Yogesh, age 3, hails from Vikhroli, a town in Mumbai district of Maharashtra. He belongs to a poor family consisting of six family members. His father works in a private firm. With the insufficient family income, it was difficult for them to pay the huge cost of Master Nibhish’s liver transplant which was Rs 17 Lakh. 

Nibhish was suffering from swollen stomach with yellowing eyes. When his health condition got worst, he was taken to B.J. Wadia hospital, where the family received the shocking news that Nibhish was suffering from a chronic liver disease and needed an immediate liver transplant in order to survive. 

The father was found to be a perfect match for his son and that he would be able to save his son’s life by donating a portion of his liver. But still, the biggest challenge for the family was to arrange the huge amount to pay for the transplant.  

After discussing about the family’s poor economic situation, the doctors at Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children informed them about MOHAN Foundation’s Anudaan. With support from MOHAN Foundation, few other NGOs and hospital’s concession on transplant cost, Master Nibhish successfully underwent a liver transplant on October 16, 2022. MOHAN Foundation sanctioned Rs. 50,000 for his liver transplant.

Both father and son are recovering well. Nibhish is very happy to receive a second chance to live. His parents are excited for his future and want to see him as a police officer in future.  

“I would like to thank MOHAN Foundation’s Anudaan team for saving my son’s life with the much needed support”- Mrs. Supriya Yogesh, Mother

Case- Kanchan B Pedhambekar

On July 5, 2022, MOHAN Foundation’s Anudaan- “Making Transplants Affordable” team received an email from Sahayadri Super Specialty Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra requesting financial aid for Mrs. Kanchan B Pedhambekar liver transplant, who was suffering from decompensated chronic liver disease with HCV related etiology which affects the liver.

Mrs. Kanchan B Pedhambekar, age 34 years, hails from Pedhambe village, a town in Chiplun Ratnagiri (Kokan) district of Maharashtra. She belongs to a poor family. Both her husband and son work as daily wage labourers in a local farm. With the insufficient family income, it was difficult for them to pay the huge cost of Mrs. Kanchan’s liver transplant which was Rs 15 Lakh. 

Mrs. Kanchan was suffering from stomach pain, fever, urine problem. When her health condition got worst, she was taken to a local hospital, where the family received a shocking news. After few tests, it was affirmed that Mrs. Kanchan was suffering from a chronic liver disease. She was then immediately admitted to Sahayadri Super Specialty Hospital, Pune where the doctors took her to an emergency room. The doctors informed the family that the patient needed an immediate liver transplant in order to survive. 

It was found out that the daughter was the perfect match for her mother and that she would be able to save her life by donating a portion of her liver. But still, the biggest challenge for the family was to arrange the huge amount to pay for the transplant.  

After discussing about the family’s poor economic situation, the doctors at Sahayadri Super Specialty Hospital, Pune informed them about MOHAN Foundation’s Anudaan. This information gave them a new hope. With support from MOHAN Foundation, few other NGOs and hospital’s concession on transplant cost, Mrs. Kanchan successfully underwent a liver transplant on October 14, 2022. MOHAN Foundation sanctioned Rs. 50,000 for her liver transplant.

Both mother and daughter are recovering well. Mrs. Kanchan is very happy to receive a second chance to live. 

“Lots of gratitude to MOHAN Foundation’s Anudaan team for saving my wife’s life with their financial support”- Mr. Babaram Ramji Pedhambekar, Husband