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Home / Health News / International Mother’s Day 2017: Son gifts a part of his liver to save mom’s life

International Mother’s Day 2017: Son gifts a part of his liver to save mom’s life

By giving her a part of his liver, Kedar Rao has given his mother a new lease of life.

By: Sandhya Raghavan   | | Published: May 12, 2017 5:29 pm
Tags: Fatty liver  Liver transplant  Love & Relationships  Real Stories  Surgery  

Someone once told me, that the rule of nature is to move forward at all times. A sapling cannot regress into a seed whence its sprout or a drop of rain cannot go back to the cloud. Through the example, the person intended to say that filial love or the love a child has for its parent exists only in theory, not in practice. Have you ever heard of a sparrow returning to the nest of its old parents? Once the bird learns how to fly, it leaves the nest for good, never to return to its parents again, said the wise soul. I remember nodding in full agreement, adding that it is against the laws of self-preservation for a child to be selflessly devoted to its parents. But that was years before I read about Kedar Rao’s poignant gesture of love for his mother that defied my own notions of love and sacrifice. This Mother s Day, I spoke to the software professional who brought his mother back from the jaws of certain death, by donating a part of his liver. Their story lends courage to a lot of people who are facing the daunting prospects of organ transplantation. Also Read - Green Mediterranean diet could benefit people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

How it all started Also Read - Sensor to detect fatty liver disease even before they have obvious symptoms developed



The Raos are a family of four, Mr Raghavendra Rao and Mrs Jayshree Rao and their children, Kavita and Kedar. In May 2015, the senior Raos had just returned from a Euro trip when Jayshree fell sick with a bout of dysentery, which she attributed to the climate change. Their family doctor also dismissed it saying was just the sweltering May heat that was causing the problem. Then, in just a month s time, she lost around 8-10kgs, and we panicked. We knew we had to take her to a specialist, says Kedar. Also Read - Liver transplant: When it is needed and who can donate

The Raos consulted a gastroenterologist Dr Parijat Gupte who put Jayshree through a battery of tests like sonography, liver function test and the works. She has been a diabetes patient for more than ten years. But fortunately, she never had to take insulin. So we were naturally worried about her health, says Kedar.

The results that shook the family

There was no preparing the Raos for the verdict the doctor had in store for them. When the results were out, the doctor said that my mother s liver functions were compromised and that she was in the initial stages of cirrhosis, says Kedar. The family was understandably shaken. Why would someone who never had a drop of alcohol in her life suffer from a condition common among alcoholics? Jayshree Rao was suffering from NASH or Non-Alcoholic Steato Hepatitis, an inflammatory condition of the liver caused by a fat build-up in the organ.

Sixty-five percent of Jayshree s liver was damaged. But we didn t lose hope. The doctor assured us that it was possible for a person to function normally, even with 25 percent of the liver intact, reveals Kedar. We were hopeful that just medication would suffice. But that s when the doctor dropped the bomb on the Raos; medicines could only do so much. What Jayshree needed was a liver transplant.

The long wait

Soon, Jayshree was put on the waiting list for a liver, and the search for the right donor was on. Since she had the rare AB+ blood type, she was third on the waiting list. But this also meant finding the right donor could take a while, he says with a sigh. Despite all the odds, the family hoped against hope to find the right person. All the while, Kedar was mentally preparing himself. I knew that I would have to be a living donor for my mom if the need arises, he recollects.

A close call

In January 2016, the much-awaited call that the Raos had hoped for finally happened. We got a call saying that they found the right donor for mom. I remember, we admitted her to the hospital the same night. She was prepped for the operation and even wheeled into the theatre, says Kedar. But the joy was short-lived; the liver meant for Jayshree turned out to be infected. There was no way the doctors could go ahead with the operation! Kedar says, It crushed us. It was an emotionally draining moment for us.

But it also was a moment of epiphany for Kedar who realised that the impediment was, in fact, a sign from God, asking him to step up for his mother. I realised, if God wanted my mother to have that liver, it would have happened. It was time for me to consider the prospects of giving a part of my liver to my mother, he says wistfully.

A difficult decision

Time was of the essence for Jayshree as she was growing weaker and weaker with every passing day and finding it difficult to get out of bed. She also started hallucinating and losing track of reality. These were the last stage symptoms of the disease, and the doctors insisted that the transplant be carried out right away. But like any mother, she couldn t bear to think of her child losing a part of his organ for her sake. Kedar says, She didn t like the idea, but she knew that there wasn t any other option in front of us. In the next six months to one year, it would have been difficult for us to care for her. And just like that, Jayshree Rao agreed for the transplant.

Kedar had to face his own fears and uncertainties that lay ahead of him, like any other first-time organ donor. A sense of duty towards his mother aside, he also derived strength from his wife Trupti and friends. It was their steadfast support gave him enough strength to go through with the operation.

The operation

Kedar was cleared for the transplant, and on April 25, 206 Jayshree was admitted to Global Hospital, Mumbai. And two days later, the much-awaited surgery finally happened. Mother and son met each other one last time before the surgery. We wished each other luck, says Kedar.

They both knew they were in the safe hands of Dr Mohammed Rela, one of the world s leading liver transplant surgeons. Kedar was wheeled into the OT on April 27, and a day later, it was Jayshree s turn. Needless to say, the surgery was a success with Jayshree s body accepting her son s liver. A year-long ordeal was soon on its way out.

Post surgery

It was indeed a life-altering event for both Jayshree and Kedar. For the first six months, I couldn t do anything strenuous like going to the gym to avoid any risk of a hernia. I had food restrictions but only for a month, since the doctors wanted to ensure I don t catch an infection. A year after the surgery, I can say I am physically 95 percent back to my old self, says Kedar.

What about the remaining five percent? At night, sometimes I have some discomfort. I had donated 65 percent of my liver. So from 35 percent, my liver has grown back 100 percent in a year but not in its original shape, he reveals. The thing about the liver is that it has the remarkable ability to regenerate itself and grow back fully after partial donation, but it may not retain its original shape. It grows into whatever space it can find in your abdomen. It can even come between your stomach and intestines, he says. But that s just a small price to pay. Knowing that his mom is hale and hearty today is enough for him.

So did it bring the mom and son closer? For Jayshree, Kedar was a God-sent child who risked his own well-being for his mother s health. They now share a much deeper bond than before. But she still picks fights with me! That hasn t changed one bit. laughs Kedar. But he admires his mom s resilience even when everyone around her was losing hope. It s her will power and strength that helped us through this ordeal. She knew she would be fine someday and that gave us faith, he says.

Reaching out

Today, Kedar runs a website called “Mytransplant.in” for those individual facing a similar predicament like the Raos did. When we were searching for information about liver transplant and donors, nothing came up on the internet, no website, not a single forum. We found stories on hospital websites, but they were publicising their own doctors and services. There was nothing that we could use, he says. A sense of empathy made Kedar develop the website with his friend s help. Through the website, we share first-hand experiences from donors and recipients. So in the future, anybody in need of information about organ transplant and donors can access it, he says. The website also invites donors to pledge their organs for those in need.

Also read: Mom donates liver to son.

Image source: Kedar Rao

Published : May 12, 2017 5:29 pm
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