Sadashaya Foundation educates people on organ donation

The village even passed an unanimous resolution in the gram panchayat on October 26, and have submitted a copy of the resolution to District Collector Sangeetha Satyanarayana.

Peddapalli: Abbidipalli, a small village in Odela mandal of Peddapalli, has been in the limelight in recent times after the villagers took a heartwarming decision. The village, which has a population of 500, has pledged that all its residents will donate their organs after death.

The village even passed an unanimous resolution in the gram panchayat on October 26, and have submitted a copy of the resolution to District Collector Sangeetha Satyanarayana. The decision was not a sudden one, and organ donation is nothing to the villagers of Abbidipalli. Over the last seven years, around 125 persons from Odela and its surrounding areas have donated their eyes. Following the example set by the residents of Abbidipalli and Odela, more people from other nearby villages are now coming forward to donate their eyes, organs and even bodies after death.

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The credit for this movement actually goes to the Godavarikhani-based NGO, Sadashaya Foundation, which has been educating the rural people on organ donation. Formed on Gandhi Jayanthi in 2008, the foundation, apart from creating awareness on organ donation, is also collecting eyes and other organs of the deceased as well as bodies as human cadaver if family members were ready to donate. So far, the foundation has collected about 600 eyes, organs of 80 persons and 90 bodies.

While the eyes were donated to Vasavi Eye bank, Secunderabad and LV Prasad Eye bank, Hyderabad, the bodies were donated to Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal, Chalmeda Anand Rao Institute of Medical Science and Prathima Institute of Medical Science, Karimnagar, Gandhi and Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad.

Founder and president of Sadashaya Foundation, T Sravan Kumar, a retired Singareni employee, had donated his younger brother Ashok Kumar’s eyes and body to Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal, in 2006 to fulfill the aspirations of the latter. Inspired by Ashok Kumar, both Sravan Kumar and his wife Krishna Kumari pledged to donate their bodies to KMC and signed papers accordingly in 2008.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Sravan Kumar said they would organize a commemoration meeting on the 11th day ceremony of the donor at his/her residence to educate more people. Besides felicitating the family members of the donor, appreciation certificates are given. The association has also trained three persons to remove cataract from donors.