On September 26, 2025, the Rotary Club of Miramar in Panjim, Goa, hosted a compelling organ donation awareness talk as part of its regular club meeting. The session featured Mr. Gabriel Pereira, Organ Donation Ambassador with the MOHAN Foundation, and was coordinated by RTN Dr. Sandhya.
In a first for many attendees, the session also welcomed transplant recipients — Mr. Umesh Dhavalikar (liver), Mr. Mark Rocha, and Mr. Zeon Romano (both kidney) — who shared personal stories that humanized the conversation around organ donation. Their moving testimonies resonated deeply with the audience and offered firsthand insight into the challenges and triumphs of transplantation.
Mr. Pereira opened the session with a brief introduction to the MOHAN Foundation’s work both in Goa and nationally. He highlighted that around 80 individuals are currently on the waitlist for kidney transplants in the state, where only kidney and corneal tissue transplants are currently performed.
Using a detailed PowerPoint presentation, Mr. Pereira walked attendees through the core principles of organ donation — such as the definition of brain death, the legal necessity of family consent, and the possibility of donating tissues or the whole body in cases of circulatory death.
He also explained the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, shared information about licensed transplant hospitals in Goa, and outlined the simple procedure for acquiring an organ donor card.
The testimonies added a powerful emotional layer to the session. Mr. Dhavalikar, Mr. Rocha, and Mr. Romano spoke about the uncertainty and hope that defined their transplant journeys, reminding everyone present that every donor saves not one, but several lives.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Pereira thanked Mr. Sandesh Gadvi, President of the Rotary Club of Miramar, and all Rotarians for their support and warm hospitality. He expressed gratitude to the transplant recipients for their courage in sharing their stories, and reiterated MOHAN Foundation’s commitment to promoting awareness and increasing organ donor registrations across the country.
