No doubt you remember Vihagana Ariyasinghe who died last March due to brain failure at the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital. After her death, it was revealed by the media that her organs were successfully transplanted to several other patients and the news received high publicity on social media.
Vihagnana, who died giving life to several people in this way, was facing the G.C.E. A/Level examination before her death. The results of the exam were released yesterday and it is reported that she has passed the exam with three A’s.
Even though she is not among us today to enjoy that happiness, due to the great sacrifice she made at the moment of death, seven people including a doctor are alive today.
19-year-old Vihagana Ariyasinghe, a student of Kurunegala Maliadeva Girls’ College, is a resident of Ambanpola area. She had an older brother and sister. Her sister is studying higher education at Northwestern University. Vihagnana, who had studied A-Level Commerce stream through English medium, hoped to get a university education as well as her elder sister.
But her fate did not allow it. Vihagana Ariyasinghe, who had completed her A/L’s, suddenly fell ill after returning home from a trip to Anuradhapura. Therefore, on March 17, she was admitted to the Galgamuwa District Hospital. Then She was admitted to the Kurunegala Teaching Hospital same night due to her serious condition. But she was agreed to donate her organ after death when she was in a critical condition in the intensive care unit of the said hospital
It is not unusual to transplant the organs of patients dying of brain death to other patients, but Vihagana’s organ transplant was a special one. It was her heart and lungs being transplanted into the same patient at the same time.
Vihagana’s heart and lungs were similarly transplanted to an anesthesiologist who was in critical condition due to heart and lung failure. The unique operation was performed at the Colombo National Hospital.
In addition, the two kidneys taken from her were successfully transplanted to two critically ill patients, one of whom was receiving treatment at the Kurunegala Hospital, and Vihagana’s liver and eye membranes were also transplanted to three other people. Five of her body parts have already given seven people a healthy life. All of them are in very good health condition.