At 86, Umrav Jain becomes Raj’s oldest brain-dead organ donor

Jaipur: Umrav Jain, 86, a resident of Jaipur's Civil Lines, has become Rajasthan's oldest person to donate organs after being declared brain dead—an uncommon and deeply affecting moment for the state's cadaveric organ donation programme that began in 2015. Since the programme was rolled out, no octogenarian in Rajasthan had donated organs after brain death, making Jain's donation a rare milestone. Her kidneys were transplanted into the wife of a Kargil war martyr.Jain suffered a severe brain stroke on Jan 26 and was declared brain dead on Jan 31 at a private hospital in the city. Her family was told she was being kept alive on ventilator support and that removing it would lead to death within an hour. In the midst of that finality, they chose organ donation.
"My mother was declared brain dead. She was on ventilator support at a private hospital. Her treating doctor Yogesh Gupta informed us that if they remove the ventilator she would die within an hour. We decided to donate her organs. We decided to shift our mother to Mahatma Gandhi hospital where organs were donated today (Feb 1)," her 64-year-old daughter, Vijeta Jain, told TOI.The decision also challenged conventional medical thinking that often places donor age around 60–65 years. Doctors evaluated Jain and found her kidneys were functioning well. Given her advanced age, both kidneys were transplanted into a single recipient to improve the chances of success and help the body cope better with older organs. Her liver was also harvested for transplantation into patients in urgent need.Jain's family said her health profile was unusual for her age. They said she had no diabetes or similar long-term diseases. Two years ago, she suffered a heart attack and received two stents, but continued to live independently—cooking, managing daily tasks, and walking on her own, though her back was slightly bent due to age-related changes.The Mohan Foundation Citizen Forum (MFJCF), an NGO that supports organ donation awareness and coordination, encouraged the family and helped them understand the process. MFJCF convener Bhavna Jagwani said that, after learning the details, the family chose donation in an extraordinary act of compassion and humanity, offering critically ill patients a fresh chance at life and ensuring Jain's legacy lives on through others.