A patient's suffering moves woman to donate kidney

DAVANAGERE: She never imagined she would become a kidney donor one day. But, an emotional event made this 50-year-old declare one of her kidneys for donation at an eye donation awareness camp held in her village two months ago, under the leadership of Sanehalli mutt pontiff Panditharadhya Swamiji.
Shakunthalamma (50), a resident of Kattalagere village in Channagiri taluk of Davanagere district, which has a population of over 2,000.She had come across a patient who died of kidney failure a few years ago after much suffering, in Davanagere hospital. She was moved by his suffering and became aware that day that many poor people with kidney problems suffered more because dialysis is very costly and also painful. Besides this, kidneys are not easily available and even if they are available, the transplantation process is a very expensive.
Shakuntalamma, a PUC science graduate, was brought up with the philanthropical and spiritual background by her late father, T Sheshappa, who was a teacher by profession. She expressed her wish to donate one of her kidneys to a poor patient, particularly young mothers who have little children. "If one such mother was given my kidney, her entire family will be rejuvenated," Shakuntalamma contented.
Her husband K M Manjunath (57), a farmer, whole-heartedly supported her proposal, while their married daughters, Ramya, Rekha and son, Praveen Kumar (27), also supported her decision to donate a kidney.
In an informal chat with 'The Times of India,' K M Manjunath said he and his wife want to donate their eyes and bodies also to the medical college and would officially declare in writing and inform to the college authorities in Davanagere soon, Manjunath said.
Both Shakuntalamma and Manjunath expressed their desire to know more about kidney replacement procedure, experts availability in the area and special hospitals for kidney transplantation in Karnataka.
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