Choosing to Live On Forever

Dear colleagues,

At some point of time or the other, I am sure most of us have pondered over the eternal question : when we die, where do we go? It’s something that has left many generations— mine included— wondering about our universe and the mysteries it holds. But today, I would like to discuss another far more important, far more personal question.

When we die, what do we leave behind?

 When we reflect on the legacy we leave behind, it is often associated with the wealth we generate during our lifetime, our families, and the respect earned in our personal and professional lives. So here’s the question: what if we could leave behind something far more tangible, far more impactful and far more meaningful? What if that something could save numerous lives and make us live on? The answer is organ donation.

Last weekend was an interesting one - I was in Jaipur for a friend’s milestone birthday celebrations and we got talking about what we could do to make the birthday memorable. Celebrations with a purpose is what we wanted and we decided on Anna Daan (Food Donation) and Ang Daan (Organ Donation). It did help that some of my close friends in Jaipur - Rajiv Arora, Bhavna Jagwani and Pankaj Jain are passionate and highly involved with these movements.

 Eating three square meals a day is a basic need that continues to be a rare privilege for far too many. So it was heartening to partner with Feeding Hands, an initiative committed to feeding the needy in Jaipur.

  Our next stop was Ang Daan. We visited the ‘Angdata smaarak’, a monument commemorating the organ donors of Rajasthan in Jaipur and pledged our organs through the Mohan Foundation, led by the brilliant Dr Sunil Shroff. Started in Chennai in 1997, this NGO aims to promote organ donation across the country. Their mission is to ensure that the gift of life is given to everyone who is suffering from end-stage organ failure. I am grateful to Bhavna Jagwani  who took the initiative of promoting the very challenging Deceased Organ Donation and Transplantation programme in Rajasthan. Under the leadership of Ms Jagwani, MFJCF, an NGO was set up, with MOHAN Foundation (MF) as the knowledge partner along with the Jaipur Citizen Forum (JCF) to take forward this mandate.

As most of us know, organ donation takes healthy organs and tissues from the donor for transplantation. But not many of us may know that organs from just one person can save 8 lives and enhance the lives of 50 people. As the list of people awaiting a transplant grows longer every day, the list of donors is shrinking around the world, which is especially saddening considering almost anyone can be a potential organ donor, regardless of age.

 While it is a personal decision, I sincerely hope that, many of us come forward and commit to donating our organs and together, make the choice to positively impact lives around us. We have created a company with a Purpose. Let’s now look at living with a Purpose and leaving with a greater purpose.  

 I had to share what moved me during the weekend at Jaipur. As always, would love to hear your thoughts. Do drop by my blog and share!

 Regards,

CP

 (To know more about organ donation and take the pledge to donate, please visit www.mohanfoundation.org)