THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Davies Kollannur, who courageously altered the course of his life three times, has now sailed beyond the horizon for the final time. Davies, having survived two kidney transplants and a battle with leukemia, was a symbol of resilience and hope for thousands of transplant patients in Kerala. The man who lived with extraordinary courage quietly slipped away on Monday night, following a sudden respiratory distress, at 57. He has left behind a legacy that refuses to fade.
A decorated transplant sportsman, Davies won a silver medal for India at the 2011 Sweden International Transplant Games in badminton, followed by a bronze in singles and silver in doubles at the Durban International in South Africa in 2013. He was also a two-time (2003 and 2006) badminton champion in the National Transplant Games. For transplant patients, Davies was not merely a survivor, he was proof that a broken body could still carry an unbroken will.
His death arrived without warning as if knowing that any hint of danger would awaken his instinct to fight.
“He was active even on his last day,” said his kindred soul Jayasree C G. “He spoke to me around 8pm about how his day went. The next thing I heard was that he was gone.”
Davies was working as a transplant coordinator at Daya General Hospital in Thrissur. Born and raised at Villadom in Thrissur, Davies grew up with the cultural beat of the city, pooram procession, decorated elephants, and temple-church grounds. After earning a bachelor’s degree, he worked as an assistant manager in an Italian hotel in Pune for three years.
