Doctors from the West China Hospital Affiliated with Sichuan University have found suitable recipients for most of the organs donated by an 11-year-old patient, who was declared brain dead after a traffic accident on July 26, West China Metropolis Daily reported.
The girl, Zeng Jiayu, was from Loudi, Hunan province. She was traveling with nine relatives from Loudi to Aba Tibetan autonomous prefecture in southwestern China's Sichuan province.
The family flew from Loudi to Chengdu, and then hired an illegal "black taxi" to take them to Aba. The vehicle, an SUV, had not been registered with any taxi office, but its owner was using it for commercial purposes. The vehicle got into a serious accident next to a highway tunnel, with all 10 family members in the car.
One passenger, a 1-year-old baby, died at the scene, and all the others were severely injured. The nine family members plus the driver of the car were taken for treatment at Wenchuan County People's Hospital and People's Hospital of Sichuan Province.
Zeng was declared brain dead after a thorough examination. The hospital explained to her parents that brain death is the total and irreversible loss of all brain function, meaning that there isn't any chance of recovery. Medical staff also convinced them that in such circumstance, it is common for family members to donate the vital organs of the deseased. Zeng Qinghui, Zeng's father, agreed to donate his daughter's organs two days later.
"I see it as a way of 'prolonging' her life," he explained. "And I hope that in the next life, she will still be my daughter."
On July 30, hours after Zeng Qinghui signed the papers for organ donation, the organs were retrieved. Doctors harvested both of Zeng's corneas, her kidneys and her liver.
The hospital has found three organ recipients to take her two kidneys and liver respectively. Doctors are currently looking for a patient in need of and compatible with Zeng's corneas.
"Her organs will benefit up to five patients," said a doctor at the hospital.
