Western Sydney boy Deyaan Udani learned about organ donation in school with his sister, just weeks before he complained about a severe headache while on a family holiday in 2016.
That headache turned out to be a brain haemorrhage, and Deyaan, 7, died in Mumbai, India — but his parents honoured his wish to donate his organs, a decision which saved four lives.
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“His heart was received by a seven-year-old girl who had less than a week to live,” his mother Mili Udani told 7NEWS.
Helping others was in Deyaan’s nature, his father Rupesh Udani previously told the Australian Government’s Organ and Tissue Authority Donate Life.
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“Deyaan was a very loving boy and loved helping others. He once participated in a school carnival race. We advised him to run as fast as he could, but he still came last,” he said.
“When we asked him why he came last, he replied he stopped to help a friend who fell while running. That is how Deyaan was.”
Deyaan’s donation made him the youngest organ donor in India, according to NSW Health.
His family celebrated Saffron Day on Sunday, a day they created to commemorate Deyaan’s life and sacrifice, and to celebrate the power of organ donation.
“We came up with the idea of Saffron Day because orange was Deyaan’s favourite colour. He wanted orange for his birthday, and he liked everything that was orange,” Rupesh said in a statement on Sunday.
“Saffron symbolises courage, strength and sacrifice, qualities seen in little Deyaan.”
NSW Health reports that there are 1800 people on Australian transplant waiting lists at any one time.
Moreover, roughly 14,000 people are on dialysis who may need a kidney transplant.
Deyaan learned about organ and tissue donation at school with his sister and informed his parents he would like to be an organ donor, shortly before he unexpectedly died. Credit: 7NEWSDeyaan’s family honoured his wish to become an organ donor, and created Saffron Day to celebrate organ donation and their son’s sacrifice. Credit: 7NEWS
Deyaan’s family hope to encourage others to register as organ donors.
Health Minister Ryan Park called it a “pledge to give the gift of life to those in need”.
“You can make a real difference to the many Australians waiting for transplants by registering to become an organ and tissue donor, and importantly, telling your family of your decision,” he said.
“Only about 2 per cent of people who die in hospital will be eligible to donate their organs. However, many more people have the potential to become tissue donors.”
In NSW, 42 per cent of the population are registered organ donors, 6 percent above the national average, according to NSW Health.
A major boost to the number of donors in the state was recorded in 2022, when 54,769 NSW residents registered to become an organ donor.
In NSW last year, 122 residents became organ donors, while 319 residents received an organ transplant.
You can register through the Donatelife website here, or through myGOV or the Express Plus Medicare app.
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