Four-year-old organ donor gives two patients chance at new lives

Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital has praised a four-year-old girl who donated her kidneys to two recipients after being declared brain dead following an accident.

The girl, Sunna, had told her family before the accident that she wanted to be a doctor.

Despite her short life, Sunna has given two other people a chance to continue theirs through her organ donation, according to the hospital’s Facebook page.

The hospital, under the Faculty of Medicine at Chiang Mai University, worked with the Thai Red Cross Organ Donation Centre to facilitate the donation after Sunna was diagnosed as brain dead.

Amid the family's profound loss, they decided to donate her organs, the hospital said.

Both of her kidneys were subsequently allocated to patients on the waiting list for organ transplants, giving two people an opportunity to receive treatment and resume their lives.

The hospital described Sunna as its 53rd organ donor and expressed its condolences to her family, while thanking them for their decision to donate her organs and give hope to others.

The hospital said organ donation by a brain-dead patient can be regarded as a “legacy of giving”, allowing the donor's wishes to benefit others even after death.

Although a person may register their intention to donate organs in advance, the donation process still requires consent from the deceased person's family or relatives.

The family's decision is therefore crucial in allowing the donation to proceed.