KOLKATA: A 12-year-old boy from Kolkata, who died just days after undergoing a kidney transplant, has become West Bengal’s youngest deceased organ donor—saving the life of a child in Mumbai and restoring sight to two others through cornea donation.
Umang Galada, a Class 8 student of South City International School, had been battling chronic kidney disease for over a year. He was admitted to CMRI Hospital on March 28 while awaiting a matching kidney donor. As his condition deteriorated, his mother, Jyoti, volunteered to donate her kidney despite an incompatible blood type. The transplant took place on May 15 and initially showed signs of success.
“His urine output was encouraging and doctors were optimistic,” said his father, Ujjwal Galada, who works with the India Autism Centre. “But soon after, he developed cardiac complications. Despite all efforts, we lost him.”
On May 21, Umang was declared brain dead. His parents, facing unimaginable grief, made the selfless decision to donate his viable organs. “We knew the pain of waiting endlessly for a donor. If our son could not survive, we wanted him to save others,” Jyoti said from her hospital bed, where she is still recovering from the kidney retrieval surgery.
Doctors at CMRI found Umang’s liver and corneas to be suitable for transplant. After no suitable liver recipient was found in Bengal or eastern India, the Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO) coordinated with the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), which allocated the liver to a critically ill child in Mumbai. His corneas will go on to give sight to two individuals.
“Umang was a bright, cheerful child with a keen interest in artificial intelligence. Despite his illness, he remained active, curious, and never let despair take over,” said his father. “We hope his spirit lives on in the lives he has touched through this donation.”
“This is an extraordinary act of compassion,” said Sombrata Roy, unit head at CMRI. “The family’s decision, in their darkest hour, has given the gift of life and hope to others. It’s a powerful reminder of the impact organ donation can have.”
