On July 19, 2024, Mr. Gabriel Pereira of the MOHAN Foundation was invited by the Extension Committee and the Life Skills Committee of Don Bosco College, Panjim, Goa, to conduct an organ donation awareness session for the college's first-year students.

 

Gabriel began the session by introducing the Foundation and explaining that MOHAN is an acronym for Multi-organ Harvesting Aid Network, based in Chennai and operating from Mapusa.

 

Gabriel conveyed the importance of organ donation through a PowerPoint presentation. He described organ failure as a silent tsunami, creating devastating situations in people's lives. He encouraged students to spread the message among family and friends, especially those with a history of kidney diseases, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, or other lifestyle-related issues. He emphasized the significance of checking creatinine levels and traces of protein in urine and doing an ultrasound of the abdomen and pelvis, especially for individuals with hypertension or diabetes.

 

Gabriel also discussed different types of donors, including living donors and brain stem death donors, detailing the time frame for organ retrieval, transportation, and transplantation. He explained the allocation process and engaged the students in discussing transplant hospitals and the types of organs or tissues transplanted in Goa.

 

The principal, Dr. Cedric Silvera, expressed gratitude to Mr. Gabriel for conducting the informative talk on organ donation and expressed interest in continuing the association with the MOHAN Foundation.