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Ayesha Rashan, a 19-year-old from Karachi in Pakistan, underwent a successful heart transplant surgery at Chennai's MGM Healthcare late January this year. She was discharged on April 17.
"I can breathe easy now," Rashan told the Times of India, adding that she intended to return to Karachi to complete her studies and eventually pursue a career in fashion design.
Rashan suffered a cardiac arrest in 2019 and she was unwell for months, prompting her to seek medical treatment in India. Senior cardiac surgeon Dr K R Balakrishnan, then at Malar Hospital in Adyar, recommended a heart transplant. Rashan was waitlisted on Tamil Nadu’s organ registry.
In a bid to sustain her while awaiting a transplant, doctors implanted a left ventricular assist device to help pump blood, according to a report by NDTV. However, in 2023, Rashan's condition deteriorated, necessitating a heart transplant. Despite financial constraints, Rashan's family reached out to Dr Balakrishnan, who facilitated her treatment in India
In September 2023, Rashan's family received the long-awaited call informing them of a potential donor match.
Rashan received the heart of a 69-year-old Delhi resident who had been declared brain dead. While it can be difficult for foreign nationals to receive donor organs, Rashan's family was able to proceed as there was no competing claim.
Dr K G Suresh Rao, co-director at MGM Healthcare's Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant, explained that despite the heart donor's age, the surgery proceeded due to Rashan's critical condition.
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Chennai-based NGO Aishwarya Trust and the hospital came together to help Rashan's family settle the bill, estimated to be more than Rs 35 lakh.
Dr Balakrishnan and Dr Rao emphasised the significance of every life and the critical need for organ donation.
Grateful for the support received, Rashan and her mother highlighted the challenges of accessing advanced medical care in Pakistan.
In 2018, Mansoor Ahmed, Pakistan’s World Cup-winning hockey player, sought a heart transplant surgery in India after suffering complications from a pacemaker and stents implanted earlier in his country. Mansoor was 49 years old at the time.
