Kerala’s youngest organ donor laid to rest with state honours, leaves legacy of life

In a rare and deeply moving act of compassion, a 10-month-old girl became Kerala’s youngest organ donor , offering a new lease of life to several patients even as the state mourned her untimely death. The infant, Aalin Sherin Abraham , was laid to rest with full state honours at Mallappally on Sunday, as Kerala paid tribute to a life that ended too soon but saved many others.

Aalin Sherin sustained critical injuries in a road accident on February 5 at Pallam near Kottayam while travelling with her mother and maternal grandparents on the MC Road. Despite intensive medical care, doctors declared her brain dead on February 12 . In a decision widely hailed as courageous and humane, her parents Arun Abraham and Sherin Ann John consented to donate her organs amid their profound grief.

The organ donation process was coordinated by the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation , following established medical protocols. Her heart valve was sent to Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology , her liver to KIMS Hospital , and her kidneys to the Government Medical College . Her eyes were also donated to an eye bank, restoring sight to recipients.

Moved by the family’s selfless decision, the Kerala government decided to accord state honours to the infant. Industries Minister P Rajeev said the gesture reflected the state’s deep respect for the parents, noting that the child had given life to at least five people even in death.

Several ministers and leaders, including V N Vasavan , Saji Cherian , Roshy Augustine , and Congress MLA P C Vishnunadh , visited the family to pay their last respects. A family member of one of the organ recipients also attended the funeral.

The funeral ceremony was held at St Thomas CSI Church , where Union Minister Suresh Gopi and Kerala Health Minister Veena George were present. In his eulogy, Suresh Gopi said the child would continue to live through others and that he had come to pay tribute on behalf of the nation, following the direction of Narendra Modi . Police personnel later accorded state honours before the final rites were completed.

India’s organ donation programme functions under the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation , which oversees organ allocation across states based on medical urgency, compatibility, and waiting time. However, the demand far exceeds supply. Patients often wait three to ten years for a kidney , several months to two years for a liver , and even longer for heart and lung transplants , with many not surviving the wait.