The youngest organ donor from Kerala, ten-month-old Alin Sherin Abraham, may have had a short life, but her impact will be felt for years to come. Alin’s demise became a strong message for human kindness and the will to live, as her family decided to turn their unimaginable tragedy into a gift of life for others.
Alin was seriously injured in a road accident while traveling with her mother and grandparents. After receiving initial care in nearby hospitals, she was transferred to Amrita Hospital, Kochi for advanced treatment. Although the doctors from the Amrita care team attempted every possibility to preserve her life, her brain death was confirmed on the following day.
While their loss is unthinkable, her parents have made a choice based upon their immense strength and generosity. Even while mourning the passing of their daughter, they chose to make her live through another by donating her organs. This was facilitated through the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (K-SOTTO) so that her gifts could be utilized to provide others an opportunity for new life.
Alin’s heart valve will give a second chance to a patient at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, while her liver has been donated to a recipient at KIMS Hospital. Her kidney will heal a patient at Government Medical College, and her eyes will restore sight to a patient at the Eye Bank. In this compassionate act of donation, four families will be given hope when there was deep despair.
The funeral of the baby was conducted at Kottayam with state honours, with many hails to the parents of Alin from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor of Kerala Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and many other prominent personalities for taking a noble decision in an utmost difficult time.
Amrita considers organ donation part of the broader concept of love, compassion and life. We believe that support, dignity, and spiritual support are all at the heart of humanity as encouraged through the humanitarian principles of Amma. The perfect coordination of the medical team, the transplant authorities, and the grief counsellors made sure that Alin’s last act of giving was treated with the greatest respect.
Alin’s life is not just a story of tragedy. Alin’s life is a story of the light that her parents decided to ignite in the midst of the most trying circumstances. In giving life to others, this child has become a symbol of selfless love.
