Daughter's kidney saves boy's life in UAE

Keerti and Arun saw their late child Devisri in little Adam as they wept and hugged him on Wednesday. They had waited for this day and the tears flowed knowing that their daughter's kidney had given new life to the young boy.
At 11.45am, the door of the room was flung open and Adam walked in with his family. Keerti didn't wait and dashed towards him. She knelt before the little boy, embraced him and cried her heart out. Adam hugged her back and cried too as he knew that it was Devisri's kidney that had saved him.
The special meeting room at the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences was choked with emotion.
"I couldn't help but break down when I saw him. I could see my little girl in him, his innocent smile reminded me of her. I am so happy to see him that I want to hug him again and again. May God grant him a long life," said Keerti wiping away tears that she said were 'tears of joy'.
Keerti and Arun had lost their 6-year-old daughter last year due to pulmonary hypertension and heart issues but their grief did not stop them from donating her organs and helping save the lives of three other patients.
Seven-year-old Adam had been on dialysis for the last five years and his parents Deepak John Jacob and Divya S Abraham had been waiting to get a matching kidney donor for him.
Speaking about the transplant, Dr Farhad Janahi, assistant professor at MBRU and consultant transplant surgeon at Mediclinic City Hospital and Al Jalila Children's Hospital, who conducted the four-hour transplant surgery, said: "Adam was on our waiting list for the last four years. He could not travel, could not go to school, was not allowed to drink more than 400ml of water as he was on dialysis."
"When we informed his family about Devisri's matching kidney, they were happy and relieved."
Adam, who lived with his family in Ras Al Khaimah, had to come thrice a week to Dubai for dialysis.
Devisri's second kidney was donated to a 15-year-old boy in Abu Dhabi and her liver to an adult living in Saudi Arabia.
Arun and Keerti said they found comfort from her organ donation as it made three families happy again.
"Devisri's birth and death were on the same date. It was a miracle. We had just celebrated her sixth birthday. Later, she was rushed to hospital as she struggled to breathe. She was declared brain dead. After she left us, we decided to donate her organs. It was a proud moment, but a difficult decision to make. We can see her soul in three other lives. She has left a legacy. We would recommend everyone to pledge their support to organ transplant and register themselves for this programme," Arun said.
Thanking Arun and Keerti, Deepak said: "We will remain forever grateful to Arun, Keerthi, Dr Farhad and all those who helped with this transplant."
"We have two more children but couldn't really spend time with them as we were busy with Adam's dialysis in Dubai three times a week."
After meeting Arun and Keerti, the couple said they have been inspired to register their family for organ donation.
- saman@khaleejtimes.com