Udaipur Donor Dash – the initiative to recognize the cause of Organ donation in Udaipur and create awareness among the masses took its first step today at Fatehsagar, enveloping the entire Fatehsagar in the colors of green.

With around 100 participants joining the walk that started from Aravali Vatika at 7am, the activity saw walkers and joggers joining the walk taking the total participants up by almost 50%.

Participants, including children and the aged, from all walks of life took up the cause of promoting the concept of Organ donation, something that has been missing as an institution in the city of lakes – in fact in most part of Rajasthan, with the exception of Jaipur and Sri Ganganagar.

Organised by a team of locals, under the patronage of Bohra Youth Medical Relief Society, Udaipur and MFJCF Navjeen Organ and Tissue Donation project, Jaipur, the Udaipur Donor Dash event, holding its first walk today,is the brainchild of Shamim, a resident of US, hailing from Udaipur.

The idea was conceived by Shamim, as she supports the cause and holds such events in the US, where she has spent most of her adult life. It was her thought process, which she discussed with her family and friends, who took up the task of initiating the awareness of Organ Donation in Udaipur.  Aptly supported by Mohan Foundation (MFJCF Navejeevan), the program aims to initiate a movement an institutionalise the cause in Udaipur, to support the people of the city and around upcountry when in need.

An important participant at the event was Jitendra Rathod, who is a common man from the city and has supported the cause of Organ donation, since he suffered a major setback in life, losing his son due to kidney malfunction and unable to get support in the city or nearby.  Since then, Rathod has been instrumental in promoting the cause and effecting more than 30 kidney donation and transplant procedures in and around Udaipur.  In fact, today morning, before joining the walk, he had just returned from Kapasan, after convincing a father to donate his kidney to his son, who needs a healthy organ.

The participants carried banners in the color green, promoting the cause and quotes on Organ donation, placards explaining the cause and distrubuted pamphlets that explained the process, busted myths and cleared the procedures relating to organ donation.

Having covered almost 2km from Aravali Vatika to the paal, the walkers continued to move arcoss the paal end to end and returned, covering another 2 km in the process.  The tired but enthusiastic participants were treated to hot tea and snacks and media were seen covering the event, with interviews taking place.

Dr. Ghanshyam Gupta, Head of Anatomy department at the RNT Medical College was among the participants and upheld the cause while giving an interview to a local channel and outlining the need for such a cause to the onlookers and co-participants.

Jameela, one of the organisers and Anees Miyaji from the Bohra Youth Medical Relief Society were very vocal on enhancing the awareness exercise, with the Medical Relief Society planning to take up the movement in an organized manner over the next few weeks, creating a structured institutionalized setup to support those in need and for those looking at understanding the concept.