A 58-year-old fetal medicine consultant from Bengaluru has successfully donated her kidney to an unrelated woman in her 50s, following a legal battle that reached the Karnataka High Court. Thankam Subramonian, inspired by organ donation talks since 2014, overcame family concerns and institutional hurdles to become an altruistic donor. The court approved her request in November 2025, highlighting the rarity of such cases.
Thankam Subramonian, a 58-year-old resident of Bengaluru and fetal medicine consultant at Manipal Hospital, completed a kidney donation to a stranger on her 50s after years of effort. She first expressed interest in living donation around 2014, motivated by a hospital talk on organ donation. Her brother Raj described it as 'a bit of a journey,' noting initial family opposition due to lack of awareness about the procedure's low risk, under 1 percent impact on longevity.
Since 2016, Subramonian sought to donate directly rather than through postmortem means. With colleague support, she approached the Manipal Hospital council, which interviewed her, her father, and husband amid concerns over organ trafficking. The council denied approval two years ago, leading her to petition the Karnataka High Court late last year.
Justice Suraj Govindaraj's bench recognized the urgency, given her family's diabetes history that could affect kidney viability. On November 25, 2025, the court ruled: '... when she has come forward for donating her kidney of her own free will and volition, being aware of all the aspects relating thereto, her request has to be given due credence and accepted and put in action.' The judgment described it as a rare case of an 'altruistic donor' seeking no compensation.
The transplant proceeded successfully, with Subramonian now recovering at home. The recipient's family expressed gratitude nearby, creating an emotional moment, as Raj recalled. Subramonian aims to raise awareness, stating, 'The work is still huge… More young people should come forward and also remain healthy enough to donate a kidney.' She noted low rates of unrelated living donations in Karnataka and dismal overall transplant figures in India, including deceased donations.
