In an unusual tale, a 36-year-old woman received a kidney from her mother-in-law, who stepped in after the patient’s mother went back on her decision to help.
Kavita, who lives in West Delhi’s Uttam Nagar, was asked to undergo a kidney transplant for which her mother agreed to donate a kidney. However, at the last minute she refused. It was then that her mother-in-law, Vimla (65), came forward.
Dr. Sunil Prakash, senior consultant and director, Nephrology at BLK Super Speciality Hospital, said: “It is not a reel life story, but a real one with a happy ending. Kavita underwent a successful kidney transplantation. It is amazing to see such a relationship between Kavita and her mother-in-law. ”
Kavita was suffering from frequent bouts of vomiting and experienced sudden weight loss, after which she visited a local doctor. The medicines prescribed at that time controlled the vomiting, but the weight loss was persistent, said Dr. Prakash.
An ultrasound for the abdomen revealed that she was suffering from renal failure. After she underwent tests, doctors decided to go for renal transplant.
The challenge was to find a first degree donor, which inlcudes only close family like mother, father, husband, son or daughter, brother or sister. Initially, the mother offered to help. However, she refused just before the transplant. Reacting to Vimla’s decision, a family member said: “It was a decision nobody expected. It was something that does not happen nowadays.” “After undergoing tests, we found Vimla fit to donate her kidney. The surgery took place on June 23. Both the donor and recipient are fine,” said Dr. Aditya Pradhan, senior consultant, Urology, Andrology and Renal Transplant at the hospital.
“This is the first instance we have seen of a mother-in-law coming forward to donate her kidney to her daughter-in-law. Also, it is remarkable since the donor belongs to a community where the gender bias is strong. This donor overcame all objections and consented to donate a kidney,” added Dr. Pradhan.
In Vimla’s own words: “I wanted to save her life. She is my daughter, not just my daughter in law.”
