Mumbai : Asra Shaikh, is back to life after her successful liver transplant at Wockhardt Hospital. On 8 th July, the team of doctors led by Dr. Anurag Shrimal and Dr. Gaurav Gupta performed the liver transplant surgery for Asra and her mother Ms. Amina. The surgery was successful and the transplanted liver started working immediately. Both mother and daughter recovered well and were discharged on recently.
Like any other 17 yrs old girl she was bubbling with life. 2 years back her stomach bloated up and she was diagnosed with Auto Immune Hepatitis that had already damaged her liver beyond repair. Instead of school or playground, hospital became her second home. Delicious food was replaced by salt less high protein diet. The life of this teen-ager was reduced to just visits to hospitals.
Her Father Mr. Mohd. Zaheeruddin Shaikh, the alone bread winner of the family tried his level best but it was beyond his capability. Asra needed a timely liver transplant. She was wait-listed at a hospital in Mumbai and was waiting for her turn for last six months but couldn’t get a cadaveric liver transplant.
It was just a chance that the family met Dr. Anurag Shrimal during one of his visits at Aurangabad. By then Asra’s condition had detoriated further. She needed medicines to even maintain her blood pressure. She was receiving weekly injections with Albumin but to no-end.
The next day Asra was at Wockhardt Hospital Mumbai Central completing her evaluation. Her mother Ms. Amina Shaikh came forward to donate a part of her liver And she was found to be a good match to donate a part of her liver.
The family had already spend all their fortune by then. Dr. Shrimal Said, ‘I had no heart to say no to Asra asking for life and hence I decided to make this transplant a reality. Dr. Shrimal along with Wockhardt Hospitals Medical Social Worker guided the family to various Governmental and Non-Governmental organizations to collect funds.
We made appeal on internet and newspapers. Dr Shrimal had even put an appeal to his family and friends to gather support. Asra’s brother Mohd. Azizuddin, made numerous trips to Mumbai and left no stone unturned. Finally Ms. Khorakiwala, MD of Wockhardt Hospitals, gave a green signal to go ahead with the transplant with whatever funds that were gathered.
Asra is a very talented girl. Even during her ICU stay she painted beautiful cards for the transplant team. The entire team at Wockhardt Hospitals is jubilant to give a second shot of life to Asra. At Wockhardt it’s Always – Life Wins.
Dr. Parag Rindani, Centre Head, Wockhardt Hospitals said, ‘we started our Liver Transplant Program in December 2016 with a very complicated case, a simultaneous living donor liver and kidney transplant. Our program has matured over the last six months. We have successfully conducted various living donor and cadaveric liver transplants. Two of these liver transplants were carried out for needy patients with no financial contribution from the family.