Indian grandmother dies in Dubai, saves two lives through organ donation

Dubai: The last thing Jesinta Jose Mon Vellara did on the morning of May 14 was watch from her daughter's balcony, waiting to wave goodbye to her grandchildren as they boarded their school bus. Hours later, the 63-year-old grandmother from Kerala, India, was fighting for her life. She never recovered, but in death, she gave two strangers a second chance at living just ahead of Eid Al Adha.

Jesinta, a native of Kaveed in Kerala's Thrissur district, had been dividing her time between Dubai and her hometown since her husband Jose Mon’s death. Though on a visit visa, she often extended her stay with her daughter, Britty Sobi, son-in-law, Sobi Thomas and their three daughters.

A morning gone wrong

On May 14, the children were running late, and their school bus had already pulled away, Britty told Gulf News.

"When my mother is here, she takes care of my children. She makes sure to wave at them from the balcony after they board the school bus,” she said.

Jesinta was worried. Though the children had managed to catch the bus further down the road, she did not know that.

“That day, she was a little upset because she thought they had missed it,” Britty recalled.

Suddenly, Jesinta blacked out in the balcony. Luckily, she regained consciousness on her own briefly after that and walked indoors to inform Sobi about what happened. However, she collapsed again after which the family rushed her in an ambulance to Aster Mankhool Hospital. She had suffered a heart attack on the way, and an angiogram was performed and her heart was found very weak. Yet, doctors suspected something more and did further tests and confirmed she had also suffered a brain haemorrhage caused by an aneurysm.

According to doctors, the aneurysm had likely been leaking for several days before Jesinta collapsed but had not presented clear symptoms

"The doctor kept asking me if my mother had complained of a headache, but I don't remember anything like that. The only thing I could recall later is that during a staycation at a resort in Dubai she mentioned neck pain after we spent time on a floating boat in a lazy river. I never imagined it to be something serious as I also had some kind of a pain in my neck and back at that time,” said Britty.

As per the death notification, a copy of which has been seen by Gulf News, the direct cause of death was compression of the brain, the leading cause was intracerebral haemorrhage, and the underlying cause was acute myocardial infarction, with hypertension listed as a significant contributing condition.

'We were in tears'

Jesinta was declared brain dead on May 17 and that is when the grieving family thought about organ donation.

Even in the depths of their grief, the families of Britty and her brother based in Canada, Britto, made a unanimous decision to consent to organ donation.

"We were in tears when we signed the papers. But we are happy that my mother will live on through the recipients who received her organs,” said Britty.

Jesinta was subsequently transferred to King's College Hospital London-Dubai, where the organ retrieval procedure was carried out in accordance with established clinical, ethical and regulatory standards, the hospital confirmed in a statement to Gulf News.

The hospital said both kidneys and the liver were successfully retrieved. “The liver was transplanted into a recipient at King's College Hospital Dubai, who is currently progressing well after the procedure. The kidneys were allocated through the appropriate regulatory framework to patients at Dubai Hospital.”

However, only one kidney could be donated, as the other was found to be unsuitable for transplantation due to thrombosis, the family was informed.

Walk of honour

King's College Hospital Dubai described the family's decision as an act of "exceptional compassion, courage and humanity" during a time of profound loss.

Before the surgery, the hospital organised a walk of honour for Jesinta.

“In recognition of the donor’s altruistic act and the family’s generosity, an honour walk was organised within the operating theatre corridor. Hospital staff stood on both sides of the corridor to pay tribute and show respect for the donor’s life-saving contribution. The donor’s family members also participated in this poignant moment, making it a meaningful and dignified farewell,” the hospital said.

"It was a very touching moment for the family," said Sobi Thomas.

She wanted to live, die here

He said Jesinta's connection to the UAE ran deep. Her late husband had worked in Dubai, and she had given birth to her son at Al Wasl Hospital, now Latifa Hospital, and the children did some years of their schooling also here.

“She had always loved the city and had even expressed her desire to continue living here and make Dubai as her final resting place in future. She used to sing the UAE national anthem on special days and stand in the balcony when she hears the national anthem from a school near our house.”

"She was a very religious person. She would pray from 5pm to 8pm, and also for hours in the morning. Her wish was granted, but it was so soon which is what we are struggling to accept. We were in the process of getting a residence visa for her.  We haven't had enough of her. Our children were so attached to her. She learned swimming here: my second daughter taught her. Our next mission was to teach her cycling. We used to go out with her often and made so many memories,” Sobi recalled.

Rare case of visitor donor

While hundreds of UAE residents of various nationalities have donated organs after brain death, it is rare for a visitor on a short-term visa to become an organ donor. The hospital said the case also highlights the critical role played by its Organ Procurement Organisation (OPO) in coordinating the process and supporting families through it.

King's College Hospital Dubai has now completed over 62 liver transplants, including both deceased and living donor procedures.

After the surgery, Jesinta's body was flown home on May 21. Family and friends gathered at her home in Kaveed, Thrissur, to say their final farewell.

The family, which returned to Dubai this weekend, hopes their story will encourage others to consider registering through Hayat, the UAE's official deceased organ and tissue donation programme launched by the Ministry of Health and Prevention. Registrations can be completed through the Ministry of Health's app or website.