On 27th Aug 2020, MOHAN Foundation was invited by Indian Youth Congress for giving awareness about Organ Donation. Mr Santosh Kolkunda introduced Mrs Jaya Jairam, a kidney recipient and MOHAN Foundation's Project Manager at Mumbai and Ms Shreya Siddanagowder, volunteer with MOHAN Foundation & a Bilateral Hand Transplant Recipient.

Ms Shreya Siddanagowder presented the concepts of Organ and tissue donation, types of death viz. Cardiac and Brain Death, the organs and tissues that can be donated. She highlighted that India had low organ donation rates in the world, primarily due to lack of awareness among the public as well as healthcare professionals. She also discussed the various myths and barriers in the minds of the general public, which can only be eliminated through education and sensitization.

Lastly she shared her personal story about how she lost both hands in a bus accident and how she was emotionally quite down due to being heavily dependent on her mother for her day-to-day work and routines. She and her family realised that the only way of coming out of this dependency and bringing dignity back into her life was through hand transplant. She received limbs in 2017 and thereafter, through sheer will power and determination, she and her doctors worked to improve the motor control of her arms and hands, thereby enabling her to do her daily activities smoothly.

Mrs Jaya Jairam spoke thereafter, inviting the participants to join MOHAN Foundation's volunteering program. She also shared her own story of how she got a second chance at life when her mother donated one of her kidneys to save her life. 

Details of Organ Donation Helpline No. 1800 103 7100 was also shared. Around 47 participants attended the awareness session. Online link to the donor card was shared in order to enable the public to take pledge. Mr Krishna Allavaru gave vote of thanks to Mrs Jaya Jairam and Ms Shreya Siddanagowder for conducting the session. 

MOHAN Foundation thanks Indian Youth Congress for supporting the cause of Organ Donation.