Ekm man to attend transplant games

Kochi: Dinoy Thomas, 39, who is participating in the World Transplant Games to be held in Perth, Australia, from April 15 to 21, was given a send-off by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan by handing him over a jersey on Monday.The Ernakulam resident, who had a heart transplant at Lisie Hospital in 2013, will participate in the five-km marathon event at the Games that is organized for organ transplant recipients and donors with the approval of the International Olympic Committee. This is the first time that a person from Kerala is participating in the event. Dr Joe Joseph, cardiologist at Lisie Hospital, is part of the medical team that flew to Perth with the Indian team.Thomas was preparing for the event and had participated in several marathons organized in the city.To spread awareness about organ donation, Heartcare Foundation headed by Dr Jose Chacko Periappuram, who had done Thomas’s heart transplant, is funding the trip and his travel expenses are borne by the Nippon Toyota Group, where he works.