With Fr Davis Chiramel founding the Kidney Federation of India, Kerala has witnessed a good number of priests and nuns donating organs. Fr Chiramel was the first priest in the world to donate an organ. He donated his kidney to Thekkemadathil Gopinathan, a poor electrician, in 2009.
T Ramavarman for The Times of India reports that 15 priests, including a bishop and a nun, have donated their kidneys in the state till date. The report also says that Kerala is now the only state in India where hundreds have volunteered to become live kidney donors.
The Kidney Federation of India is reportedly getting many calls with people expressing interest to donate organs. Fr. Chiramel, a Catholic priest has broken all religious traditions and created another first by offering to donate his body for the students of Thrissur Medical College Hospital, after his death.
“I believe paradise is realised when you offer whatever is in your possession while alive, and not when you ensure your body is laid in a nicely built tomb,'' Fr Chiramel told ToI.
Among the priests, a bishop has also donated his organ. Mar Jacob Murickan, the auxiliary bishop of Pala diocese, donated his kidney to a 30-year-old youth Sooraj. Taking a cue from him, a nun of the Catholic Church, Sister Chaitanya has also donated her kidney to a 40-year-old man.
It is also interesting to note that most of the organ recipients are not Christians though the donors are priests.