Holy event’s donor appeal
SEVEN youngsters are promoting organ donation as a way to mark Paryushan Mahaparva this week, the Jain holy event of reflection.
The children will be encouraging Jains in the UK to talk about organ donation during Paryushan, which began last Friday (3) and will continue until Friday (10). They are also asking people to register as organ donors after death as a form of sewa (service).
A video to promote organ donation was commissioned by the Jain and Hindu Organ Donation Alliance (JHOD), in partnership with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT).
Thousands of Jains will watch it during Paryushan events organised by Jain organisations in the UK as well as on social media.
Kirit Modi, chair of JHOD, said he was “delighted that youngsters are taking the lead in promoting organ donation during Paryushan this year”.
“Patients from BAME communities waiting for an organ transplant have been affected more compared to the whole population,” Modi said.
“The Jain community has taken a leading role in promoting organ donation for many years.
“I am urging all Jains to support us during this period of recovery from the effects of the pandemic by registering to donate organs”.
The video includes two transplant recipients from the Jain community – Rakhi Shah, who received a new kidney in July after waiting for two years, and Sandeep Shah, whose family decided to donate the heart of one of their loved ones.
JHOD is also publishing a special leaflet on organ donation, explaining religious aspects and messages from the community’s leaders.