Meet India's first woman participant at World Transplant Games

Ready to sprint with her steely heart

Reena Raju, 35, from Bengaluru, was once very ill. She was a quite active, confident and outgoing person at one stage. Then she found she had a terminal heart problem. Determined to fight her own heart, she eventually became Karnataka's first woman recipient of a heart donation. Ever since she had a shot at a second lease of life, Reena is involved in aiding others as much as she can, and helps herself as well.

Reena has always had an athletic streak in her. After the heart transplant operation, she applied herself to physical activities and sports training. Her objective was to take part in the World Transplant Games meet. She is gearing up to become India's first woman organ transplant recipient to take part in the event.

"I was keen on taking part in the WTGF meet and have been prepared myself," Reena said. She underwent heart transplant in Chennai in November 2009 after being diagnosed with cardio myopathy (heart muscle atrophy).

She will represent India in badminton (mixed doubles) and 100-meter run at the 21st edition of the biannual event that took off at Malaga, Spain, on Sunday.

Balveer Singh from Uttar Pradesh and Dharmendra Soti from Lucknow are the two other Indians taking part in the eight-day biennial event organized by the World Transplant Games Federation (WTGF).

Reena has been leading the efforts to help organ recipients. Light a Life Foundation founded by her has been helping many organ recipients.

A hockey player before the transplant, Reena has never cried shy of challenges. She had tried her lungs at underwater diving, and her borrowed heart at skydiving abroad in recent years.

Reena trained herself for the sprint and took professional help. "Reena is a quick learner and an enthusiast. We trained her for three weeks," said Deepak Raj S, her badminton coach.

Subsequently, she went through a battery of tests to get her fitness level certified. WTGF has made these tests mandatory.

Dr K.M. Cherian, cardiac surgeon from Frontier Lifeline Hospital, who conducted the transplant for Reena, said: "Reena did extremely well after the transplant. She had a mild fear of rejection of organ, but overcame it soon. She is now fit for the event."

"While countries like the UK and the US have hundreds of participants, there are only three from India. There's lack of awareness, encouragement and sponsorships for organ recipients," said  Reena.

The prime objective of WTGF has been to promote education around transplantation to raise public awareness and increase organ donation.

• India