Feature Report: When Noor Dad Khan recalls the moment he decided to donate his son’s organs, he doesn’t speak of heroism — he speaks of humanity.
“I used to see a woman in our neighborhood who was worn down from her struggle with kidney disease. That image stayed with me. When doctors told me that my son couldn’t be brought back, I thought maybe someone else could be saved,” Noor Dad shared ,with Human Online, his voice steady but thick with emotion.
A resident of Rustam, a small town in Mardan district, Noor Dad is a father of five. His eldest child, Jawad, was just 15 years old — a 9th-grade science student with a dream of one day wearing a doctor’s coat himself. On May 31, tragedy struck when Jawad met with a devastating traffic accident on his way home from school. He was rushed to Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar, where, after extensive efforts, doctors declared him brain dead.
While the weight of that moment would paralyze most, Noor Dad found a quiet strength within his grief. "I waited for two or three days, praying for a miracle. But when it became clear that Jawad was gone, I thought of all the people suffering, waiting for a donor. That’s when I decided — his death should give others a chance at life.”
In what has now been confirmed as the first-ever deceased organ donation by a local resident in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Noor Dad gave permission for doctors to retrieve his son's liver, both kidneys, and both corneas. The Medical Transplant Regulatory Authority was notified in line with legal protocols, and five critically ill patients in Peshawar and Lahore have since received life-saving transplants.
The decision wasn’t Noor Dad’s alone. He consulted with his father and brother, who supported him in what he calls a "sadqah-e-jariyah" — a continuous charity in Islam. Yet, the toughest part remains: Jawad’s mother is still unaware of the donation. “She’s in deep shock. We’re waiting for the right time to tell her, when she’s emotionally prepared,” Noor Dad explained.
Noor Dad’s description of his son paints a portrait of friendship and deep love. “He wasn’t just my son — he was my closest companion. We’d talk for hours, laugh together. He was always near me. It’s hard to believe that he’s gone. But maybe... maybe this was all the time Allah had written for him.”
Though organ donation remains a rare act in Pakistan, responding to a question by Human Online, Noor Dad hopes his story will inspire others. “Islam encourages saving lives. The Quran says saving one person is like saving all of humanity. We need to spread awareness. So many poor people in our country can’t afford transplants — they depend on such donations to survive.”
What Noor Dad Khan has done is nothing short of extraordinary — not because it was easy, but because it was profoundly difficult. His decision, rooted in empathy and faith, has set a precedent for the province and given five families a second chance.
In a country where conversations around deceased organ donation are still hesitant and few, Noor Dad’s story is a reminder: even in the depths of personal tragedy, the human spirit is capable of incredible generosity.
