Srinagar man suffering from chronic liver ailment gets unique gift from sister ahead of Rakshabandhan: a piece of her liver
Raksha Bandhan, the festival of love and bonding between brother and sister is one of the most auspicious festivals observed by Indians. Generally, it’s the brother who holds the promise of beholding the relationship and protecting the sister. However, This Rakshabandan was special for Bilal Ahmed, who got a new lease of life from his sister Zubaida, who donated a part of her liver to save his life.
Bilal Ahmed (45), a resident of Srinagar had been suffering from chronic liver ailment due to excessive fat deposition around his liver. This had caused the quality of his life to severely deteriorate. Gradually, his condition became fatal. However, as luck would have it, Bilal met with a fatal accident leading to fracture of his left arm and right hand. Bilal was already leading a restricted life owing to his liver condition, the injuries just added to his miseries making life worse for him as days passed.
“I am grateful to my sister Zubaida who saved my life at a very critical time. This Rakshabandhan is very special for me as my sister gave me a new life post, donating a part of her liver”
The fractures were complex in nature and required a surgery to fix his broken arm and right hand. However the surgery could not be performed owing to the liver complications. Bilal had developed an extreme form of jaundice and his blood clotting mechanism was damaged. Bilal was in immense pain and as days passed, his survival became a challenging affair. His liver function was less than 20 percent and the only way for him to lead a healthier life was through a liver transplant, post which he could undergo surgery for his fractures. In case Bilal, underwent any surgery apart from the liver transplant this would have posed a huge threat to his life.
He approached Dr. Neerav Goyal at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi and was advised a liver transplant. The situation was critical as Bilal needed a liver match. More than 2 donors were tested for a liver match, which was not successful. Bilal’s sister Zubaida was a good match for the liver and was more than happy to donate a part of her liver.
Dr Neerav Goyal, Senior Consultant and Head, Apollo LT & HPB Surgery unit, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals said,” When the patient came to us, he was diagnosed with Decompensated Cirrhosis which is a very serious condition and can lead to death. Along with this condition, the patient had multiple fractures due to the accident. As the patient’s liver condition has advanced a lot, he Couldn’t undergo surgery for his fracture. Hence, we immediately decided to operate the patient for liver transplant. Without any second thoughts, Zubaida gave her consent to donate a part of her liver to her brother.”
On 6th July, 2019, Bilal underwent liver transplant surgery. The surgery lasted for 13 hours. “Both the recipient and donor are doing well and were discharged from the hospital within 21 days of the surgery. The liver function of both the patient and the donor is stable now,” Dr Goyal added.
Bilal Ahmad said, “I am grateful to my sister Zubaida who saved my life at a very critical time. This Rakshabandhan is very special for me as my sister gave me a new life post, donating a part of her liver. After learning about the successful liver transplant cases that Dr. Neerav Goyal had performed in the past, We decided to visit Apollo Hospital. I sincerely thank Dr. Goyal and his entire team for saving my life. It is because of the doctors here that today I am taking steps towards a healthy future.”
