Karnataka bride declared brain dead on her wedding reception

On February 6, a 26-year-old bride collapsed during a photo session for her wedding reception in Kolar and was sent to Nimhans Hospital in Bengaluru. She was declared brain dead on Friday as her health worsened, and her organs were donated to patients on the waiting list.

Chaithra KR from Kodicheruvu village, Srinivasapura taluk of Kolar district, was all set to tie the knot on February 7. Sadly, her body was taken back to her village on Friday night and cremated on Saturday morning.

Chaitra's parents, Ramappa and Akkemma, agreed to donate their organs. On Friday, the State Organ Transplant and Tissue Organization Jeevasarthakate transplanted their daughter's essential organs. It's the first time in Nimhans that brain death has been declared and organs have been recovered.

Dr. Shashidhar HN, Nimhans' resident medical officer, informed STOI that by the time she arrived at the hospital, the window of opportunity for survival had passed. He indicated it was a brain stem stroke, and she had seizures as well. Attempts to resuscitate her were in vain.

Transplant teams from Narayana Health City and Sakra Hospital visited Nimhans to conduct a clinical evaluation for the possibility of organ donation. Two kidneys, two heart valves, and two corneas were taken from the patient. This is Karnataka's 12th cadaver organ donation in 2022.

Chaithra, the only daughter, had finished her MSc at Bangalore Central University and was preparing for a career in education. For the past few years, she has worked in a private school near Kaiwara Cross in Chintamani taluk.

“Chaithra was looking for a lecturer’s post in a private college in Chintamani or Srinivasapura,” said Gopala Gowda, president, Srinivasapur Taluk Private Schools’ Management Association. Her uncle Narayanaswamy said since childhood she had dreamt of becoming a lecturer and her father had provided her with all facilities to complete her post-graduation.

Health minister K Sudhakar appreciated the family for donating organs despite their grief. He tweeted that it was a noble gesture by the parents and should be a role model for others.

Dr. Pratima Murthy, director of Nimhans, expressed her gratitude to the family for their altruistic act. She said, “We have submitted a request for infrastructure and human resources for organ retrieval to the state government, and once granted, we’ll be able to be more actively involved in this initiative.”