This reflective narrative traces a heart transplant in Kolkata, India, between a 21-year-old Hindu donor and a 27-year-old Muslim recipient, a surgery that was as much a spiritual milestone as a clinical success. Drawing on Indian philosophical and spiritual traditions that revere the heart as more than a biological organ, this account reflects on how such stories of organ transplantation can transcend religious boundaries and inspire social unity. Ultimately, the piece calls for greater awareness around organ donation and emphasises the need to reframe religious discourse around shared human experiences — centring the literal and metaphorical heartbeat.
Copyright and license ©Indian Journal of Medical Ethics 2026: Open Access and Distributed under the Creative Commons license ( CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits only non-commercial and non-modified sharing in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.