yukpeng@thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: A 23-year-old, who became a paraplegic after a road accident in 2008, is the latest organ donor - he has given two renal failure patients and a liver patient a new lease on life.
Doctors also procured heart valves and a pair of corneas from S. Jegatheesan at Hospital Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
His father, S. Selladoray, who runs a grocery store in Taman Melati here, signed the consent form at 7pm on Sunday after a second test carried out on his son confirmed that he was brain-dead.
An organ pledger himself, Selladoray consented to donate his eldest son’s organs.
“It is good to donate so that others can have a life,” said Selladoray, 55.
His wife V. Manggamah, also 55, agreed. “At a time like this, it’s best to help others,” she said.
Jegatheesan was with friends on their way home from Genting Highlands on Merdeka Day 2008 when the accident occurred.
He became paraplegic after having a spinal injury and his mother had taken care of him since then.
The family had planned to send Jegatheesan, who would have turned 23 on Feb 25, to India for further treatment in the next two weeks.
However, on Saturday, Jegatheesan had a severe headache and was admitted to HKL.
“He was still conscious and able to talk to doctors then,” a relative said.
Jegatheesan, who began vomiting later, slipped into a coma.
A scan revealed that there was severe bleeding in his brain.
“I never expected him to leave us like this. I thought he would come out well and help me in the shop,” said a grief-stricken Selladoray.
He said that although he was wheelchair-bound, Jegatheesan managed himself well and arranged for follow-up appointments himself.
His classmates from Setapak High School and former football mates also turned up regularly at his home since he could not go out anymore.
Many of his friends and classmates were at his home in Desa Setapak to attend his funeral yesterday.
The operation to procure the organs was carried out at the hospital at 9pm on Sunday and was completed six hours later.
Doctors at the Selayang Hospital transplanted the liver into a 19-year-old girl, while the kidneys were given to a 38-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman.
Both kidney transplants were carried out at the Selayang Hospital.
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