Priest's kidney saves parishioner

The operation was successful and both of them are recovering.

The priest (right) along with Philip Joy Vazhathara.

Kochi:  A Catholic priest in Kerala has donated one of his kidneys to his parishioner in Kochi, encouraging others to take up such initiatives.

Father Jacob Kozhuvally, 41, priest of St. Joseph’s Church in Ernakulum archdiocese underwent surgery March 11 to donate the organ to Philip Joy Vazhathara, a young trainee pilot.

The implantation was successful and both are recovering, hospital sources said.

Father Kozhuvally is the third Catholic priest in the country to donate kidney after Fr. Davis Chiramel of Trichur archdiocese and Fr. Joseph Kodiyan of Ernakulum.

Father Kuriakose Mundadan, an Ernakulum archdiocesan priest, said that Vazhathara’s kidneys were deteriorating since last year and he was getting weaker with each dialysis.

His doctor Babu Francis advised him to go for kidney transplantation.

The patient’s father had died in July last year and his brother and sister are residing out of India. He is staying alone with his mother in Kochi.

The family's search for a matching kidney was unsuccessful and Father Kozhuvally thought of donating his organ. The priest and Vazhathara went for a cross-matching test and it was positive, Father Mundadan said

The priest's friendship with Vazhathara started when he came to the parish three years back.

The parishioners organized a day of prayer for their priest and Vazhathara. Many fasted and some even spent the day without water praying for successful surgery.

Fr. Kozhuvally’s initiative has encouraged people in the parish to donate organs.

Days before the operation, Fr. Kozhuvally said that three persons have come up to him saying that they were ready to do the same.