'You never know who you will inspire': Melbourne couple's journey to body and organ donation

Manmohan Singh Saxena, who has chosen to donate his body for medical research, and Gurjinder Kaur, who has decided to donate her organs after death, hope to serve as an example for communities where such practices are still not fully accepted.

Melbourne based Manmohan Singh Saxena and Gurjinder Kaur have registered for body and organ donation respectively. Credit: Supplied

Key Points

• Melbourne-based couple register for body and organ donation.
• They hope to inspire others from their community to come forward.
• Studies show that there's a large disparity between the number of people who say that they support donation and those who register.

"Why are you doing this?"

It's the main question Manmohan Singh Saxena receives whenever the topic of his body donation arises.

"It just got stuck in my mind that there is a huge scarcity in the availability of donated bodies for medical research," the 65-year-old Melbourne resident tells SBS Punjabi.

"One time, while talking with a doctor, I learned that medical advancements and scientific developments have historically progressed the most during times of war because more bodies are easily available for medical research. That stunned me," he adds.

Mr Saxena made the choice to donate his body for medical research in 2003.

"And then the first thing I did when I migrated to Australia was I immediately filled in the donor forms, along with the regular Medicare and Centrelink forms," he says.

Also a regular blood donor, Mr Saxena explains that you can either sign up for organ donation or full body donation - not both.

I opted to donate my body as I think a donated organ can save a life, but a body provides the foundation to save many more.

Manmohan Singh Saxena

Challenging cultural reluctance

Mr Saxena mentioned that cultural, religious and personal beliefs sometimes prevent people from making this commitment.

"I do respect other people’s choices. But at a personal level, I don’t think religion comes into it. After all, it’s just a body that is of no use after death and I think even my religion teaches this - to do 'Seva' (acts of selfless serving)," he says.

Dissection of the human body is not a common topic for discussion for many cultures, Mr Saxena says.

"But without the dissection of cadavers and anatomical examinations, learning and new advancements in scientific research are difficult," he explains.

Dr Surjit Singh Bhatti, a research scholar and former professor of cultural education, says despite there being clear teachings in Sikhism about using the whole being to do good for others, some people in the community are still reluctant to follow them practically.

"Generally the core values of 'Seva' and donation is highly practised and widely appreciated in Sikhism and there is nothing more religious than practising 'Seva' even after death," he says.

"But people become reluctant at the thought of their body being dissected. It's the belief in the importance of cremation and the need to dispose of the ashes in flowing water that holds back many families from putting their names on the organ or body donation register."

Mr Saxena has pledged his full body to medical research. Credit: Supplied

Mr Saxena has pledged his full body to University of Melbourne, which runs a body-donor program in Victoria for the purposes of education and medical training.

In pledging, donors can also choose for the ashes to later be returned to family for commemorative purposes.

They will cremate my body as soon as they can’t use it anymore and I have asked them to spread my ashes in the university's rose garden once the research is finished.

Manmohan Singh Saxena

Addressing the donation disparity

Studies show that there's a large disparity between the number of people who say that they support donation in theory and the number of people who actually register.

In 2021, approximately 1,250 people died in Australia when organ donation could have been considered.

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, 1,224 Australians received a life-saving organ transplant in 2022.

Melbourne-based couple Gurjinder Kaur and Manmohan Singh Saxena. Credit: Supplied

Mr Saxena's 62-year-old wife Gurjinder Kaur, a retired VCE teacher has pledged to donate her organs after her death.

"Someone told us that there aren't many who give this consent and that's why you should talk about it with more people around you - you never know who you will inspire," she says.

The Australian Donation and Transplantation Activity Report shows that while the majority of Australians support organ and tissue donation, only around one in three (36 per cent) are registered to be a donor.

There are currently around 1,800 Australians on the waitlist for an organ transplant. There are also around 14,000 additional people on dialysis – some of whom may need a kidney transplant.

Click on the audio to listen to the interview with Manmohan Singh Saxena in Punjabi.