Nagpur: In a moment of unbearable loss, a family chose light over darkness. Ten-year-old Kaivalya Khatik, the only son of Nitin and Monali Khatik from Thane, passed away after a valiant 10-day medical battle. Yet, in their deepest grief, his parents made a decision that gave life to four others, by donating Kaivalya’s organs, they transformed personal tragedy into a profound act of humanity.
Kaivalya, a bright and beloved child, was admitted to a hospital in Thane after feeling unwell. When his condition worsened, he was shifted to New Era Hospital in Nagpur for specialized care. Despite the best efforts of the medical team and an array of treatments, Kaivalya suffered a severe brain haemorrhage. His neurological functions rapidly declined, and eventually, he was declared brain dead.
The heartbreaking diagnosis was delivered by a team of doctors including Dr. Nilesh Agrawal, Dr. Parag Moon, Dr. Vivek Deshpande, and Dr. Sahil Bansal. Dr. Ashwini Chaudhary, the organ transplant coordinator at New Era Hospital, sensitively explained the situation to Kaivalya’s parents and introduced the possibility of organ donation.
Despite the unimaginable pain, the family chose to let Kaivalya live on through others. They agreed to donate his heart, liver, and both kidneys, potentially saving or transforming the lives of four critically ill patients.
Swift action followed. The Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre (ZTCC), led by Coordinator Dinesh Mandpe, coordinated the complex logistics. Under the guidance of DCP Traffic Lalit Matani, two Green Corridors were successfully created for the organ transport. Kaivalya’s heart was rushed to Nagpur Airport to be flown for transplant, while a kidney was delivered to AIIMS Nagpur.
As the ambulance departed, New Era Hospital staff formed an ‘honour corridor’, paying solemn tribute to the young donor whose final gift was life. The hospital also arranged free ambulance transport for the family to return to their native village at Sai Nagar Wadala (Paiku), Tehsil Chimur, District Chandrapur.
ZTCC President Dr. Sanjay Kolte and Secretary Dr. Rahul Saxena praised the family’s courageous decision and appealed to the public to support organ donation. Those seeking guidance or wanting to register as donors can contact ZTCC at Super Speciality Hospital, Nagpur (Helpline: 9175999735).
In a world often numbed by loss, the Khatik family’s act of compassion rekindles faith in humanity. Though Kaivalya’s life was cut tragically short, his heartbeat continues, echoing in the lives he saved.
Organ recipients
Heart: 7-year-old girl, MGM Healthcare, Chennai
Liver: 31-year-old woman, New Era Hospital, Nagpur
Kidney 1: 16-year-old boy, AIIMS, Nagpur
Kidney 2: 17-year-old boy, AIIMS, Nagpur
Dr Kolte said this donation is important because it is a paediatric donation that happened after a long time in the ZTCC Nagpur region. “The family was motivated but effectively counselled by transplant coordinator Dr Ashwini Bhoyar for donation. Paediatric donors donate only to paediatric recipients. Both recipients were available at AIIMS, and thus the transplants happened there. A great multifaceted collaborative and cooperative effort brought this about successfully,” he said.Dr Kolte lamented the fact that this was just the 7th donation in 7 months this year. “That remains a stark reality staring us directly in the face,” he said.
Dr Saxena said the paediatric donor was admitted to a Mumbai hospital for a week; however, the staff there were unable to convince them to donate, and the family decided to bring him back, remove the support, and let him die. “After they brought him back to Nagpur, they were again counselled by the transplant coordinator, and this time we were able to convince them to donate.”