Dad gives part of his liver to save daughter

[email protected] (Gulf News)
June 3, 2012

Dad_give_liver_to_daughter

New Delhi, June 3: Malik Sarsa Khan and his wife Syeda were heartbroken when their three-year-old daughter Samreen Fatima was diagnosed with liver cancer. The Khans had lost five children before. And Samreen was born seven years after the death of their last child.

Residents of Pakistan, the couple prayed for some miracle to happen. A driver by profession, Khan did not have the means for her treatment abroad. But when the doctors advised that he could take his daughter either to China or India for treatment, Khan was overwhelmed.

“I had full faith in Indian doctors and knew then that I would not lose Samreen. She could barely speak a word and would run high fever every other day. But suddenly I became hopeful,” a beaming Khan told Gulf News from Pakistan.

He immediately approached the Pakistan government for financial help. Soon, both parents headed for India with their daughter. But on their way, were robbed off at gunpoint in Lahore. But Khan decided not to lose heart and managed to reach Apollo Hospital in Delhi.

Though the Pakistan government supported him yet again, Khan was dismayed not to find a liver donor. But his disappointment was short-lived. The doctors suggested he could donate a part of his liver and Khan readily agreed. Only 20 per cent portion of his liver was required to save his daughter.

Explaining the surgical process, transplant surgeon Dr Subhash Gupta said, “The transplant involved a part of the left lobe of the liver of the father being retrieved in a meticulous seven hour operation. It was followed by transferring the graft in a bowl covered with ice to the adjoining operation theatre. The child’s damaged liver was removed and replaced with the father’s graft liver.”

After a 10-hour surgery, Samreen was cured.

Khan is all praise for the doctors. He said, “They were God sent. We can never forget their kindness and efficiency. Dr Anupam Sibal treated Samreen like his own daughter and went out of his way to provide us help. When we overshot our budget, he gave us further discount.”

Providing details of Samreen’s condition, Dr Sibal, group medical director of Apollo Hospital, said, “We were told that the child had jaundice immediately after her birth and several episodes of vomiting blood. She had to be transfused blood on multiple occasions and was thereafter referred to Pakistan for transplant.

“When we first saw her, Samreen was malnourished and unable to walk. Initially, we were worried whether she would be able to withstand the liver transplant. But after further tests we felt she had a good chance of making it, as we had successfully done transplants for very small children with Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis (PFIC).

PFIC is an inherent condition and Khan said Samreen could be suffering from it because he was married to his cousin sister – a practice followed in his family for over three generations.

Dr Gupta details, “The liver is responsible for making bile. But the build-up of bile in PFIC causes liver damage. This eventually leads to scarring in the liver that results in cirrhosis or cancer.

“Samreen is fine now and has to undergo monthly checks for the first six months and then every three to six months. She will be like a normal child, but will have to take anti-rejection medicines throughout her life. This is to ensure that the body’s immune system does not reject the liver as a foreign body.”

Khan is slightly perturbed at the cost of medicines and a special brand of milk, recommended by the doctors for his daughter. But seeing his chirpy child all his fears vanish. “I will work hard and earn more to ensure that my child does not face any difficulty,” he says.

After the recovery from operation, Khan has not had any implication. “This is because the liver re-grows to normal size in weeks to months. Also, when an adult donates to a small child, only a very small part of the liver is taken.

“About 60-70- per cent of the liver can be safely donated from a healthy and fit donor, provided the liver is okay,” Dr Gupta informed.



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Agencies
January 6,2020

New Delhi, Jan 6: A blind student who is pursuing research in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was also attacked by the mob that perpetrated violence in the University yesterday.

"I thought that the mob which came yesterday would disperse after raising a few slogans but they indulged in violence. They were targeting ABVP students. They beat me with sticks and rods. When I went to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, I came to know that there are many other injured students there," Surya Prakash, the blind student pursuing research in the University told ANI.

"I talked to my family members. They are really worried about the situation here. I qualified in the National Eligibility Test (NET) last year but I want to study and hence I am continuing research in JNU. How can we do anything in this atmosphere of fear? I am receiving calls from anonymous numbers threatening me not to come in front of the media. They are saying that as I am blind, I would become the face of this case," he added.

Another PhD student, Santosh Bhagat recounted his experience.

"In the evening at around 7 pm, many masked men entered the hostel. They had rods and sticks in their hands. We tried to go out but the attackers had entered the premises by then. I locked my room from inside but the attackers broke the door and entered my room and attacked me. They pushed me from the first floor and I fell down and sustained an injury. Later, I took shelter at one of the Professor's flat. Later, I was taken to the AIIMS Trauma Cantre," Bhagat said.

On Sunday evening, more than 30 students of the university, including JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh, were injured and were taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre after a masked mob entered the JNU and attacked them and professors with sticks and rods.

The JNU administration and political leaders, cutting across political lines, condemned the attack on students and urged the police to take action against the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, the situation remained tense but peaceful outside JNU on Monday morning as the university guards maintained a strict vigil at the gate, checking I-cards of all those entering the university.

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Agencies
July 28,2020

Noida, Jul 28: A doctor admitted at a private hospital in Noida has been accused of sexually harassing a patient in his isolation ward, where both were undergoing treatment for COVID-19, the police said.

The 20-year-old woman, in her complaint to the police, alleged that the incident took place on Monday and based on that a case was filed at the local expressway police station, they said.

A senior police official said an investigation is underway and there might be lapses on part of the hospital which allegedly admitted a man and a woman in the same isolation ward, in violation of the norms.

The woman and the doctor had tested positive for coronavirus last week, according to officials.

"The woman was in the isolation ward of the private hospital. There was a man, a medical practitioner, who too was infected with coronavirus and was sharing the ward with her," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Noida, Ranvijay Singh said.

He said the woman alleged molestation and upon being informed, the police immediately lodged a case and initiated a probe into the matter.

"There appears to be some irresponsibility on part of the hospital too. We are communication with the medical departments to check whether the patients were being kept in accordance with the guidelines," Mr Singh said.

He said the accused is still in isolation but the police will reach out for his statement following due protocols of COVID-19.

"All necessary action will be taken as per the truth that will emerge after a thorough investigation," Mr Singh said.

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News Network
July 12,2020

Visakhapatnam, Jul 12: A man of Kotturu village in Anakapalle mandal in Visakhapatnam has allegedly died by suicide after losing money in online gambling.

According to his friends, 24-years-old Doddi Venkata Aravind died after losing money in online gambling. However, Police is yet to ascertain the cause of death.

"This noon at around 1 pm (July 11), one Bhavani reported to us that her son Doddi Venkata Aravind (24), has committed suicide by hanging himself at their house," said Sub-inspector Chakradhar Rao.

"We think he might have committed suicide due to financial or any other problems. Full details will be known in the investigation. Whether he had lost in online gambling, we don't know the details," he added.

The police have filed a case and an investigation is underway.

DV Aravind worked as a junior engineer in a private mining company at Rayagada, Odisha. He came to his mother's place three days ago. 

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