MGR's niece Leelavathi who donated kidney to him passes away

MGC Leelavathi, niece of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister late MG Ramachandran (MGR) who donated her kidney to him after he was admitted to a Brooklyn hospital over renal failure, has passed away in Chennai, on Thursday night.

Chennai: MGC Leelavathi, the niece of former Tamil Nadu chief minister MG Ramachandran(MGR) who donated her kidney to him after he was admitted to a Brooklyn hospital over renal failure, has passed away at Chennai, on Thursday night, after a brief illness.

She was 72 and is survived by two daughters. Leelavathi was the daughter of the matinee idol's elder brother MG Chakrapani.

When MGR was admitted to the Brooklyn Hospital due to renal failure, she was living with her husband Raveendranath, a medical doctor, in Thrissur district of Kerala. She rushed to Chennai and offered her kidneys. The organ transplant surgery took place in Brooklyn. MGR passed away on December 24, 1987 in Chennai.

"Leelavathi was not well and was admitted to hospital but her condition improved and she returned home. However, again her condition worsened and she passed away on Thursday night," IANS quoted her brother MGC Rajendran as saying.

She was living in Chennai since 1989. Her other brother MGC Sukumar had acted in a few movies. Her brother Rajendran's son, MCR Praveen joined BJP, and she along with the family had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi in 2017.

Former ministers including former chief ministers O Panneerselvam and joint co-ordinator Edappadi K Palaniswamy have offered their condolences to the bereaved.

(With agency inputs)