A poor boy of Phulbani has parted with his kidney to one of an affluent family in Brahmapur town just because his father had taken financial help from the latter. However, the receiver has rubbished allegation that the case has been an instance of kidney sale. He, on the contrary, described it as a mutually agreed deal in which the donor, his parents and the kidney receiver’s family had a pre settlement.
Mahendra Patnaik of Gandhi Nagar in Brahmapur received a kidney through transplantation at a hospital in Candy in Sri lanka on March 24.
Khanu was the donor boy who was first taken from Phulbani to Brahmapur and finally to Bhubaneswar by road from where he was taken to Chennai by train. In Chennai, he boarded a flight to Sri lanka where his kidney was transplanted in a hospital.
Mahendra reached home; his mother’s eyes well up in tears but donor Kahnu who also was at Brahmapur was sent to his home in Phulbani. Mahendra said Kahnu’s father had taken money from his parents several times earlier and for kidney alone, he had taken Rs3.5 lakh.
Mahendra said Kahnu has been adopted by his mother as a foster son and his surname has been changed from Behera to Patnaik. So Kahnu as a brother donated his kidney to him.
“Kahnu is god to me. I have got a new lease of life because of him. My mother has adopted him as her son and he will always remain my brother. I am indebted to him,” said Mahendra.
Refuting alleged kidney sale, Mahendra said: “Initially Kanhu’s father, Barun, had agreed to donate kidney. However, his organ was incompatible with me. So Kanhu came forward voluntarily to donate his kidney. As I was battling with life, I accepted Kanhu’s proposal. Both the families agreed to this after which my mother accepted Kanhu as her adopted son.”