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According to Sudhir Gupta, vice-president of the body organ donation committee, Dadhichi Deh Daan Samiti, this was a landmark moment in the committee’s 28-year history

A doctor from AIIMS said that foetuses can play a crucial role in medical education. (Representative Image)
In a poignant act of courage, Ashish and Vandana Jain of Pitampura, Delhi, have donated their five-month-old foetus to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) after learning that there was no heartbeat during a routine check-up. What began as a devastating loss for the family has now turned into a moment of inspiration for society and the medical fraternity.
The couple, already parents to a four-year-old son, said their grief found meaning through the decision. Ashish Jain, a businessman, credits his father, Suresh Jain, for showing them the way. “It was a difficult moment for us, but my father, Suresh Chand Jain, who is associated with a body donation organisation, guided us about the donation. He connected us with Dadhichi Deh Daan Samiti and we felt that even the short life of our child can make a difference for someone,” Ashish said.
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Suresh, who heads the Aagam Shri Foundation, has long been involved in organ and body donation awareness. “I promote awareness and facilitate organ donation through my organisation. So, when our family experienced this tragedy, we decided to come forward and donate the foetus for a larger cause,” Suresh Jain said.
The process was facilitated by GP Tayal, north head of Dadhichi Deh Daan Samiti, who coordinated with AIIMS. Volunteers and AIIMS officials arranged an ambulance to collect the foetus from a nursing home in Rohini, where Vandana had undergone surgery following the failed attempts to induce delivery. “SB Ray, the head of the anatomy department of AIIMS, contacted me to collect the body donation certificate,” Suresh Jain added.
According to Sudhir Gupta, vice-president of Dadhichi Deh Daan Samiti, this was a landmark moment in the committee’s 28-year history. “We have seen 1,732 eye donations, around 550 whole body donations and 42 skin donations, but never an embryo. The courage of the family was extraordinary. We could only act as a bridge, the real appreciation goes to the Jain family,” Gupta said.
He added that while more than 100 families from the Jain community have contributed to body and organ donations through the committee, this instance stands apart. “It proves that even in dark times a family can choose humanity,” Gupta remarked.
AIIMS officials emphasised that such donations hold immense importance for research and training. “Such donations help future doctors learn and increase their understanding of human life,” said Prof Subhrata Basu Roy, head of the anatomy department at AIIMS.
A doctor from the institution further noted that foetuses can play a crucial role in medical education. “The Jain family showed that families can leave behind a legacy even during moments of grief and loss,” Gupta said.
For the couple, the decision has provided a sense of solace amid heartbreak. “We never thought this would happen. But if our child can help doctors and researchers in the future, then at least his life has been meaningful,” Ashish added.
The donation, described as the smallest body donation ever recorded by the committee, has set an extraordinary precedent.
September 08, 2025, 16:32 IST
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