Dabbawallas promote the cause of organ donation in Mumbai.

A small act of selfless service can inspire the collective conscience of thousands of people and transform the lives of many in the future. This was the story of DeyaanUdani, a 7 year old boy from Sydney, Australia. Deyaan was deeply inspired by his Spiritual Master PujyaGurudevshriRakeshbhai’s (Founder of Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur)message of serving selflessly. Deyaan had once mentioned to his parents of his wish to be an Organ Donor. On a trip to India, Deyaan’s health deteriorated suddenly and he left his mortal body in an untimely death! However, his death gave a new lease of life to 4 people and vision to 2. Deyaan’s parentsMili and RupeshUdani stood resilient even in times of immense grief and fulfilled his wish. In his untimely death, Deyaan lit the lamp of hope for many in the times to come.
What started as an individual contribution soon evolved into a mass movement called the Shrimad Rajchandra Organ Donation Programme, a public awareness campaign to encourage and promote organ donation after death, launched by Shrimad Rajchandra Love and Care, an NGO that Deyaan was inspired by and committed to. This programme aims to bring about a positive change to the current transplant scenario by inspiring people to pledge for organ donation after death and bridge the huge gap between need and availability of organs!
The programme was launched by PujyaGurudevshriRakeshbhai on Valentine’s Day in memory of little Deyaan and was attended by several dignitaries like Smt. SnehalAmbekar, Mayor of Mumbai; Shri SubhashGhai, leading Filmmaker; Dr. Aditi Gowitrikar, Actress and Model; Shri ManojLohiya, Additional Commissioner of Police (Central Region); Shri RaosahebShinde, Additional Commissioner of Police (Eastern Region) and Dr. Bharat Shah, Nephrologist and founder of Narmada Kidney Foundation. The launch saw over 3000 individuals, including PujyaGurudevshriRakeshbhai and the dignitaries, sign the pledge forms in just few minutes, thereby giving a loving tribute to Deyaan who became an instrument in igniting this global movement.
The famous dabbawalas of Mumbai supportedthe Shrimad Rajchandra Organ Donation Programme and spread the message of this cause on the occasion of Organ Donation Day to the people of Mumbai. Sporting their trademark white cotton kurta-pyjamas and the white Gandhi topis, this enthusiastic group carried an organ donation card in each of over 2, 00,000tiffins they deliver across the length and breadth of Mumbai each day. This is perhaps the largest ever single day reach that the programme has garnered since launch and the dabbawalas played a stellar role in promoting this humanitarian cause, with fervour and enthusiasm. Their accuracy in delivering tiffins is a folk-lore in Mumbai; however by promoting a cause as important as organ donation, they have added another feather to their cap of serving people selflessly.
Shrimad Rajchandra Organ Donation Programme aims at creating awareness and gaining support from across the world, so that numerous people may live a better life, a new life.
A single organ donor can save up to 8 lives and save or improve the lives of up to 50 people by donating tissues and eyes. Any individual can donate skin and eyes for which the necessary procedures have to be performed within 6 hours. In a brain dead individual, the heart can continue to function on a ventilator and other support for a maximum of 36 to 72 hours. As the blood supply to organs can be maintained for a few hours, it is during this period that all suitable organs such as kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas, etc. can be retrieved.