Brain-dead man donates all his organs to save lives

A few hours before Tuan Anh’s organ removal surgery on May 18, Mr. Pham Van Thu was invited by the doctors to see his son’s face for the last time. In the quiet room, there was only the beeping sound from the heart monitor, his son lay there, his heart still beating with the machine, his hand still warm, his eyes closed, refusing to open.

Mr. Thu lifted his son’s hand and squeezed it tightly, his eyes red. There were 5 family members and some doctors and nurses in the room, all bowing their heads. 15 minutes later, Mr. Thu knew that when he stepped out of the hospital room door, a horizontal line and flashing red zeros appeared on the heart monitor screen. When the doctor removed the breathing tube, he and his 26-year-old son would be in two different worlds.

More than two weeks have passed since the organ donation, but the moment of holding his son's hand for the last time is still in the father's mind. Neighbors still gossip that his family "sold their son's organs for more than a billion VND" or "the son died and the father became famous".

"I am heartbroken, but those rumors are no longer important because my only wish now is to see my son again soon through other people who received his organs," the father shared.

Tuan Anh was diagnosed with a congenital cerebral vascular malformation after a headache and nausea. The doctor said that some people have this disease for life, while others develop it early, like Tuan Anh who was diagnosed at the age of 26. After a month of treatment, Tuan Anh was scheduled for surgery at Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, on May 12.

10 hours after the surgery, the doctor informed the family that Tuan Anh's brain could not be saved. Mr. Thu collapsed and asked the doctor to let Tuan Anh go home to plan his funeral. The ambulance took Tuan Anh, the oxygen tank, and Mr. Thu and his wife back to their hometown.

Upon arriving home, an acquaintance working at Viet Duc Hospital advised the family to take Tuan Anh to the hospital for further treatment. As long as there is life, there is hope, so the next day Mr. Thu and his wife hired an ambulance to take their son to Viet Duc Hospital.

Three days later, the doctor announced that Tuan Anh's brain could not be restored because he was brain dead. All hope was lost, so Mr. Thu decided to take his son home. At this time, the doctors met with him and his wife to talk about organ donation. After a few minutes of thinking, Mr. Thu decided to donate his son's organs to save other patients. His wife and some family members initially opposed this decision. However, when they heard him say "I want Tuan Anh's son to grow up and still feel that his father is still alive", everyone agreed.

On the morning of May 18, Tuan Anh was taken into the operating room to remove organs. At the same time, 5 operating tables were in operation, about 130 medical staff participated in the organ removal and transplant for 4 people. Associate Professor Nguyen Quang Nghia, Director of the Organ Transplant Center, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, said that if these 4 patients did not have organs to transplant, their life expectancy would only be measured in months. All surgeries ended on the same day, successfully.

"The two patients who received kidneys on June 4 can be discharged from the hospital, one of them is 61 years old and the other is in his early 30s. The patient who received a liver can also go home by the weekend, and the patient who received a heart is also stable," said Dr. Nghia.

In addition to performing a multi-organ transplant for the recipient, the doctors also took two corneas and transferred them to the Eye Bank, Central Eye Hospital for transplant to the patient and took eight tendons stored in the Tissue Bank, Viet Duc Hospital.

Mr. Thu said that after the organ harvesting surgery, the doctors offered to hold a funeral for Tuan Anh at the hospital, but the family only asked the doctors for a new set of clothes for their son to wear. The car carrying Tuan Anh's body returned to his hometown that same afternoon.

Tuan Anh passed away but saved the lives of four people. His wife was unaware of his last days and his noble deeds. She suffered from postpartum depression, and her condition has now worsened. "Recently, the child has had to take a lot of medication. She is daydreaming all day, not knowing whether her husband is alive or dead," Mr. Thu said, choking up.

Mr. Thu just hopes that his daughter-in-law will recover soon, then she will understand his decision. Tuan Anh's 2-year-old son is being cared for by his grandparents. "My biggest wish is that I will soon see my son again, and my grandchildren will see their father, through the people who received Tuan Anh's organ transplants," Mr. Thu said.

According to Dr. Nghia, over the past 10 years, there have been 50 cases of brain-dead organ donations at Viet Duc Hospital. In each case, doctors try their best to use the donated organs to transplant to patients waiting. "There was a case where we split the liver to transplant to two patients," Dr. Nghia said.

The number of people registering to volunteer to donate organs is increasing. In 2013, the National Organ Transplant Coordination Center recorded 5 cases of organ donation after death or brain death. To date, more than 23,000 people have registered to donate organs.