Boy gets second liver transplant thanks to generosity of readers
Needy family received Dh100,000 that covered hospital bills, medication and hotel stay in India
Athree-and-a-half-yearold Pakistani boy, who was in dire need of a second liver transplant, has undergone the surgery thanks to the generosity of Gulf News readers.
Mohammad Ebrahim Kiani, who was at risk of liver failure, got a new lease of life after donations came pouring in from readers when Gulf News published his story in June.
The surgery was conducted on September 1 in Fortis Escorts Hospital, New Delhi.
The boy’s father Mohammad Adel Kiani is a relieved man.
“It was a critical period because my son was falling ill, his body was turning weak and we couldn’t afford to do the operation. The surgery has saved his life,” said an emotional Kiani, 36, who works as an accountant in a hospital in the UAE.
Mohammad had liver complications since birth due to biliary atresia, a congenital liver disease in which the bile duct between the liver and the small intestine is blocked or missing. He underwent the first liver transplant successfully, but later began facing complications and required another.
Kiani and his wife were put through several tests to determine who the donor for the second transplant would be.
Doctors then decided his wife would be the best donor.
“We went to India on August 10 and doctors carried out many tests on me and my wife. They had to make sure the donor was a perfect match because his body rejected the first liver transplant,” Kiani said.
The liver is the largest essential organ in the human body. In a living related transplant, a portion of the liver is removed from a living relative. As livers are capable of regeneration, a transplanted section of a healthy liver can ideally regrow into a functional organ.
Kiani’s wife and son are recovering well after the surgery and are back in Pakistan. “He is recovering quickly thanks to God, but he will have to keep receiving medication for the next five years,” Kiani said.
“I never expected to receive this much support from the Asian community. They helped me raise almost Dh100,000, which helped cover all the costs, including hospital bills, medication and hotel stay in India.”
Kiani updated donors every step of the way. As help continued to pour in, he had to tell them that he no longer needed it. “These good people helped me a lot and the surgery was carried out in time. Everything had gone so smoothly and my son is recovering. I’m so grateful for everyone’s help,” he said.