By Jyoti Galada
Umang Galada: Youngest Organ Donor
This is the story of Umang Galada, the youngest organ donor of West Bengal. It is also a story that echoes the struggles of thousands of organ failure patients across India who are waiting for a transplant—though their endings may be different. Umang was a 12-year-old boy who fought to find a kidney donor so he could live. In the end, he became an organ donor himself. His liver saved the life of a critically ill 8-year-old child, and his corneas gave the gift of sight to two visually impaired individuals.
Umang: A boy who excelled everywhere
Umang was a brilliant mind with boundless curiosity—a mind that sought continuous learning. He immersed himself wholeheartedly in everything he pursued, excelling in his studies, playing the tabla, building mechanical models, coding AI-based games, cooking, acting, and filling the room with laughter through his sharp wit.
Recently, he had to submit a 7-minute tabla performance video for a competition. Back from his dialysis, he recorded three versions and sent them to his tabla teacher, who replied with an ‘ok.’ But Umang was not satisfied. He said, “I will keep sending more till sir says ‘good.’” He had this rare ability to connect deeply with others and make them feel seen, proud, and uplifted.
Umang loved going to school, which was eventually stopped after he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease stage 5 in June 2024 during a regular check-up. With no major symptoms previously visible the diagnosis came as a shock to his parents. For a year, he underwent dialysis three times a week, each session lasting for 4 hours. The treatment was essential to keep him alive. The schedule left him physically drained, but never emotionally defeated. He missed his school, friends, and freedom to eat his favourite food, as his diet was tightly controlled to maintain critical levels of sodium, potassium, and fluids in his body. His immune system weakened, and the risk of infection meant social isolation.
Umang’s world shrunk to his home, his hospital, and the safety of his family but he never stopped smiling. While having his dialysis, he learnt to operate the dialysis machine, check blood pressure, and even give injections. The nurses used to joke that he could do his own dialysis.
A healthy organ to be transplanted is the most crucial and critical part of the treatment journey of any organ failure patient. A B+ kidney was not available within the family as his father’s kidney was not suitable for transplant and other members were not stepping up. Umang’s mother, who was of a different blood group (A+), decided to donate in an ABO-incompatible transplant that needed additional preparations before surgery, like plasma exchange, immunoglobulin therapy, and powerful medications to prevent rejection. All medical tests and legal clearance which is mandatory for any transplant operation took months.
A day before Surgery
A day before surgery, Umang kept planning about his future, his return to school, completion of his incomplete online game that he was creating, eating whatever he desired, and playing with friends. On the morning of the surgery, he woke up in excitement and hope to finally get a normal life and got ready all by himself. He even asked his mother to get ready fast and eagerly headed towards the operation theatre. The surgery finally happened. It was complicated and prolonged. He was kept sedated and placed on a ventilator after surgery.
Life does not always follow our plans. Just hours after the surgery, Umang suffered a cardiac arrest. Two-hour CPR brought back those heartbeats again, but he never regained consciousness. For two days, all lived in suspended time hoping, praying, and willing for a miracle but it never came. Suddenly, the world of Umang’s parents collapsed. The mother, who had high hopes that her kidney would give a second life to her son, went into deep grief. A child who fought so bravely to live was gone.
The parents chose to honour him. When the hospital did not mention organ donation, his parents did because they knew exactly what Umang would have wanted: to help others. They were aware of Organ Donation. They knew the struggle of every organ failure patient, to find a suitable healthy organ for transplant.
Umang’s helpful nature
There was a moment during dialysis, after it was confirmed that Umang’s mother would be his kidney donor. A 6-year-old girl in the unit, who was also undergoing dialysis but hadn’t found a donor, caught Umang’s attention. He told his mother to speak to the doctor and see if his own kidneys, which had a little function, could be donated to her. Though this was medically not possible, Umang’s willingness to help even in his condition showed the generosity of his heart.
Umang became West Bengal’s youngest organ donor on 20th May 2025. Organ donation turned his parents’ grief into pride. Umang’s life journey taught what true courage, resilience, and love look like. His death taught that one act of generosity can ripple into eternity.
Every year, thousands of people die waiting for an organ. Only 2% of patients actually receive an organ for transplant. Each one of us has the power to change this by pledging our organs and saying yes to organ donation.
