DO IT FOR DEYAAN THIS SAFFRON DAY The Udani family from Western Sydney have been through an unimaginable tragedy, but are now re-telling their experience in the hope of helping others.
Mili and Rupesh decided to create Saffron Day in memory of Deyaan and to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation. Saffron symbolises courage and strength, qualities seen in little Deyaan. Orange was also Deyaan’s favourite colour.
Rupesh and Mili’s son Deyaan was a bright seven-year-old boy with an infectious smile. He was a kind-hearted, beautiful boy and was always willing to help others.
A pinch of Saffron goes a long way, as does the generous gift of organ donation.
On a family holiday to India in 2016, he suddenly passed away from an unexpected brain haemorrhage on the day they were expected to fly home. Rupesh and Mili couldn’t believe it when the doctors told them that Deyaan was brain dead.
Mili and Rupesh ask everyone to get involved in Saffron Day by:
Not long before the trip, Deyaan and his older sister Naisha had learnt about organ and tissue donation at school. They had told their parents they wanted to be organ donors one day to help save the lives of others.
• Wearing orange on Thursday 22 October, and encouraging your school or workplace to do the same. Share your photos on social media with the hashtags #SaffronDay #doitforDeyaan
Little did Deyaan’s mum and dad know that just a few months later they would be faced with this very decision to donate his organs.
• Registering as a donor at donatelife.gov.au/saffronday
In that awful moment Rupesh and Mili remembered that conversation they’d had with Deyaan. Deyaan was gone but there was one thing left they could do for him. Their decision to honour Deyaan’s wish saved four lives. “Who was to know that months later we would be faced with the decision of whether to donate Deyaan’s organs. It was our worst nightmare. But when the time came to make the decision to switch off life support, we knew that there was one thing that we could still do for Deyaan. A tragedy took Deyaan from us, but if our circumstances were different and Deyaan required a life-saving transplant, we would do anything we could to make it happen,” recalls Deyaan’s mum, Mili.
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In Australia, there are 1,700 people waiting for a life-saving transplant. Despite the majority of Australians saying they support organ donation, only 1 in 3 are registered on the Australian Organ Donor Register.
• Starting a conversation with your family and friends about organ and tissue donation and encouraging them to register too. To learn more about Deyaan’s story, visit saffronday.org
