Karachi resident Ayesha Rashan, aged 19, has been granted a new lease on life following a successful heart transplant surgery conducted at MGM Healthcare in Chennai, India. Rashan’s journey began in 2019 when she arrived in India with a severe heart dysfunction that ultimately led to heart failure.
According to reports from NDTV, Rashan was reliant on ECMO, a life support system crucial for individuals facing life-threatening conditions affecting the heart or lungs. Her critical condition necessitated a full heart transplant after her heart pump developed a valve leak. Notably, the entire cost of the heart transplant procedure, exceeding Rs 35 lakh, was generously covered by the hospital in collaboration with the Chennai-based Aishwaryam Trust.
Dr. KR Balakrishnan, Director of the Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant, and Dr. Suresh Rao, Co-Director of the Institute, swiftly responded to the emergency and financial requirements of Rashan. They emphasized that Rashan received the heart promptly as there were no competing claims, a rarity for foreign recipients due to organ allocation regulations. Her new heart was generously donated by a 69-year-old brain-dead patient from Delhi.
Describing Rashan as akin to their own daughter, the doctors emphasized the significance of every life.
Expressing deep gratitude towards the Indian government, Rashan and her mother, Sanobar, shed light on the dearth of adequate medical facilities in Pakistan. They revealed that Pakistani doctors had informed them of the unavailability of transplant facilities within the country.
Rashan, now prepared to return to Pakistan, harbors aspirations of pursuing a career as a fashion designer.
This narrative echoes the case of Mansoor Ahmed, Pakistan’s celebrated World Cup-winning field hockey goalkeeper, who sought a heart transplant in India back in 2018. Ahmed, then 49, encountered complications arising from a pacemaker and stents implanted in his heart.
