Kerala gives state farewell to baby who gave life to 4: 'Yes, the pain is there'

PATHANAMTHITTA: Ten-month-old Aalin Sherin Abraham, the youngest organ donor in the state, was laid to rest with full state honours in the presence of a large gathering at Nedungadappally St Thomas CSI Church on Sunday evening.

Declared brain-dead last Friday, Aalin gifted life to four children. Her liver, kidneys, corneas and heart valves were donated, turning a family's immeasurable loss into hope for others. She suffered critical injuries in a road accident on Feb 5 while travelling in a car with her parents and relatives in Kottayam.

Earlier in the morning, a steady stream of people made their way to Valumannil House at Nedungadappally near Mallapally to pay their respects to Aalin and her parents, Arun Abraham and Sherin Ann John, who chose to donate their daughter's organs in an extraordinary act of generosity.

Aalin's body was brought home around 7.45 am and placed in a tiny coffin on a bed of jasmine. People from all walks of life gathered to offer condolences, as her grief-stricken parents and relatives sat beside her.

Ministers Veena George and V N Vasavan, MP Suresh Gopi and several other public representatives visited the house to pay homage. Many travelled from different parts of the state after learning of the couple's decision, filling both the house and later the church in a collective tribute to a life that, though brief, touched many.

The toddler's body was taken to the church by 3 pm, where a packed gathering assembled to bid her farewell. Aalin's grandfather, Reji Samuel, addressed the mourners with an emotional message, saying the family found solace in knowing that four other children were given a new lease of life. "When my son told me about the decision to donate my granddaughter's organs, I agreed. People asked if I felt pain. Yes, the pain is there, but I stood by my children's decision. We lost our baby, who was with us for 20 months — 10 months in the womb and another 10 months on earth — but we gained four children. Our baby returned after fulfilling the duty entrusted to her even before she was born. God took her back after she fulfilled the purpose of her birth," he said.

Chandran, grandfather of Shreya, who received Aalin's kidneys, also paid homage at the house. "I met the angel for the last time. She gave a new life to my granddaughter, who is recuperating well after the surgery. I am a grandfather, and I know the excruciating pain Aalin's family is going through. I came here to share in their grief," he said.