To Daughter, With Love! The Gift of Life-Mom Donates Kidney to Save her Daughter’s Life

A Mother’s love is something that no one can explain, It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain, It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may, For nothing can destroy it or take that love away—Helen Steiner Rice

I cannot forget my mother. Though not as sturdy as others, she is my bridge. When I needed to get across, she steadied herself long enough for me to run across safely. My mom is literally a part of me. You can’t say that about many people except relatives, and organ donors.—Carrie Latet

Mangaluru: Words are not enough to express the unconditional love that exist between a mother and a daughter. The mother-daughter relationship is one of the strongest and complex bond in the world. It is considered one of the most powerful connections in nature that only mothers and daughters understand and share among themselves. As a daughter you can love your mother or hate her but at the end of the day, she will always be there to comfort you and be your strength in facing all the problems that come your way.

A mother’s treasure is her daughter and she will love her more than her life same as a daughter loves her mother since the very day she opened her eyes. Whatever the relationship is between a mother and a daughter, there will always be this special bond and layers of happiness that surrounds them and this relationship sets the stage for all other relationships. Not to forget there is also a special bond between father and daughter. Here is one such example where a mother came to the rescue of her loving daughter, when she was in need of kidney very badly to save her life.

a exclusive interview at her house, about her life experiences struggling with the renal disease, and how she got a new life when her mother, a beautician by profession, donated her kidney, thereby saving her life that she is enjoying happily now. Today, Shivani is living a normal life just like we do but with a diet plan and her life saving drugs. Even though she has diabetes she still can go out and play/socialize with her friends.  Shivani says, “God can’t look after every one. He has sent a mother to look after her child. How true the saying goes. 15 years of illness, 7 years of medicine, more than 400 dialysis, more than 100 injections, 3 major operations, today I am in a position to lead a normal independent life only because of my mom. She herself had uterus operation and few kidney stone operations-yet she donated her organ to her child.”. Indeed a heart-throbbing story.

Shivani goes ahead and narrates her story-” June 2008, my school reopened and I was in 3rd standard. I was celebrating every single festival and was attending all my family parties, going out for picnics and family tours every summer. I was the busiest of all the girls in my class,  attending dance class, singing class, drawing class in the evening after my school timings, and was into swimming and skating too. I just loved those days. Just like your childhood my days were beautiful and I was enjoying until I vomited one day. My family thought it may be because of food poison. But it was getting worse day by day. I would vomit even after taking the medicine advised by my doctor. I would vomit even if I drink a glass of water, vomit whenever I eat or drink anything.”

” Even my doctor was helpless. My uncle who was also a doctor advised me to take a creatine level test. By the result we could not understand anything but he suggested a Nephrologist .This doctor asked me to take five soda mints every morning, afternoon and night. I would still vomit this as soon as I would take them. I had to change my nephrologist as I was not getting better. My uncle suggested another nephrologist Dr. Sushanth Kumar at AJ Hospital and Research Centre. I was feeling better with his medicines. Through scanning we got to know that both my kidneys were not functioning well.”

“Dr Sushanth explained about my kidney collapsing and I could not understand much as I was too small but I saw my parents worried. We knew that we had to start dialysis sooner or later but we decided to continue with the medicines. I was asked to follow a diet plan and had to eat food with very less salt. Sometimes I would feel bad when my classmates and friends enjoy outside food while I had to eat homemade salt less food. I had got few cracks on my body due to lot of medicines. This went on till I turned elven. All these three years I had to take a lot of medicines and had got fever a few times.”

Here is a story of  16 year-old Shivani Shetty, a First PUC student at Sharada Pre-University College-Mangaluru which she narrated to Mangalorean.com in

“When I was in 6th, I found that my haemoglobin was too low. Dr Sushanth  asked me to take Cresp injection for hemoglobin. Test reports said that I had developed hepatitis. I had to take hepatitis injection which was pretty expensive. I had to take more than 48 injections for the same. During the course my hands and legs started swelling. Dr Sushanth  asked us to start dialysis but my dad wanted to wait for few more days as dialysis is continuous process. My swelling never seemed to come down and I could feel water accumulating under my feet. I could not run or walk for long or even climb the stairs. I wanted to go for the picnic to a water park organized by my school”.

” I somehow convinced my parents and I had a beautiful time with my friends there. All my friends were playing in water while I had to be satisfied only with the rides. My teachers took good care of me. Even though when my friends went for three rounds, I could go only for one round. Nevertheless I had a good time there. Few days later I could not breathe properly and was unable to sleep. There were times when I preferred to sit the whole night than sleeping as I would find it difficult to breathe lying down. I would not sleep throughout the night. One day I got chest pain and it was difficult to breathe. I tried hard till evening and then it got really worse that I could not control it any more”.

“My both kidneys had collapsed completely. We went to hospital and my doctor started dialysis immediately. They took me to the dialysis unit and I was not ready for this. I was sad and was shouting that I want to go out from here but they did not let me come out and forcefully did a small operation near my neck and started the dialysis. When I woke up I found myself in the ICU. Sushanth Dr would visit me daily. Every morning my brother would come to see me and go to college. I had to sleep for four hours every alternate day for dialysis. After few dialysis I had to undergo a minor operation in my hand by Dr.SP Shenoy at AJ Hospital. They put a small machine like thing called fistula inside my right hand”

“.Henceforth my dialysis was done in my hand. Hair grew all around my face, hands and legs. I was not feeling good to attend classes as I had a very bad appearance. In fact, once a shop keeper even asked my mom if I was her maid. Sushanth Dr asked me to stop taking the tablet-because of this tablet hair had grown all over my face. One day at home I had a very bad head ache and with great difficulty I managed to sleep. When I woke up I was shocked to see myself in ICU. I could not believe and I started crying. Sisters (nurses) at the ICU said that my Blood Pressure was too high and I got fits and was admitted at midnight at 2. I was in ICU for about four days. Since then I had to take extra medicines for my blood pressure along with other tablets and the injection”

Shivani seen with her Mom – Surekha and Dad – Surakshith Shetty

Sharing a piece of Cake with her brother, Srijan 

” Those were very sad days for me. I had to eat so many tablets, eat tasteless food, prick my hand for dialysis thrice a week and still take few injections. Honestly, I had to go through a lot of pain. After few days I had to be admitted again for high blood pressure. Later, Dr Sushanth asked us to start the test related to transplant. It was my mom who was donating her kidney. Just when we were about to go for transplant, my haemoglobin level was too low. I had to continue with the injection throughout and my transplant was postponed. January 11, 2014 I celebrated my 15th birthday and January 15, 2014 was the day of my rebirth. It was my mom again who gave me the second birth”

“My whole family was very nervous. I was admitted the previous day. My brother and his friend Nikitha donated blood for operation emergencies. Morning at seven, I was taken to the operation theatre. Tears came down from my mom’s eyes, my dad and brother gave me a big hug and gave me a lot of courage. One hour later mom was brought to the theatre and then I don’t know what took place after that. Mom was taken to ICU after removing the kidney from her, but dad told me that she was not in a position to speak. My kidney drafting was done and my doctors Sushanth  Prashanth Marla and Shiva Shankar waited until my urine passed out which indicates the success of the operation.”

” I was then shifted to the private ICU called Kidney Transplantation unit (KTU). I was in KTU for 19 days without meeting people. I was allowed to meet my family only once a day for not more than 5 minutes. I was then shifted to my house. My house was painted in new colors and my room was completely renovated as I should be out of all allergies and dust. I had to be completely isolated for more than three months and had to undergo frequent checkups. Today, I can live a normal life just like you do but with a diet plan and my life saving drugs. Even though I got diabetes today I can go out and play with my friends”

“After three years of irregular attendance, I joined my school on May 26th 2014 at Sharada Vidyalaya, and presently I am in first PUC at Sharada College. My mom went back to work after a month of operation although she has a bit of pain even today. God can’t look after every one. He has sent a mother to look after her child. How true the saying goes. 15 years of illness, 7 years of medicine, more than 400 dialysis, more than 100 injections, 3 major operations, today I am in a position to lead a normal independent life only because of my mom. She herself had uterus operation and few kidney stone operations. Yet she donated her organ to her child”.

“999 of 1000 have got sweet childhood memories. Most of you have a lot of childhood friends. You must have visited so many places around the world eating different tasty foods. My days were spent in hospitals with doctors and sisters but they were really sweet to me. I just hope my future days are just like yours spending time with friends, tours with family enjoying every single moment. Every day when I get up I realize that I have a new organ in me but I no longer experience any pain but I have to keep in my mind that “transplant is a form of treatment, not the cure”.

Regarding the Diet Plan, Shivani said- “Before transplant I had Food with less salt, Less liquid, Absolutely no outside food, food with less oil and meat, Eat more of Black dates, beetroot,cabbage, carrot, and eat fruits like apple, Pineapple, Papaya. After transplant, I was prone to post transplantation diabetes. So limited sweets was suggested. I consumed Vegetable soup, Maximum water, Sea food and Salads”.Shivani followed this diet with the understanding of changes that took place in her. She says, “It need not be suitable for your body. Its always better to take advice of your dietitian who will be knowing your body requirements better than anyone else”..

“I hope that my experience will help those with the similar kind of disease. I thank my family, doctors, AJ Shetty hospital and its staff (Nephrologists, Doctors and staff) at AJ Shetty Hospital and research Centre, namely-Dr. Sushant Kumar, Dr. Prashanth Marla (Medical director), Dr S P Shenoy, Dr. Shiva Shankar. R (Director, Division of Urology, Manipal Institute of Nephrology & Urology, Dr. Sandeep Rai, Paediatric-K.S. Hegde hospital, Derlakatte and in Dialysis unit : Mrs. Lilavathi (Head of Dialysis Unit),  Jayan and Miss. Selvya (Kidney Transplant Unit) and the well wishers for all the support and prayers. Any thanks will not be enough for my doctors who were beside me whenever I wanted them ” added Shivani’.

I would like to thank all those who helped me and all my well wishers. Lot of thanks to my teachers, Sunitha Maddy miss(Principal), Asha miss and to the whole of Sharada Vidyalaya who supported me in my studies, my neighbours, my relatives. Also my family friends circle, Vikram Hegde, Ahalya Hegde, Baghy Rai and so on, a special thanks to Neha Hegde. My thanks also to MB Puranik-President of Sharada College Trust who supported my family by helping in part of my medical expenses. Above all my gratitude and millions of thanks to my family members, especially my mom, dad and brother- all these people gave me a new life. Because of them that I am alive today, and enjoying normal life just like every normal human being-thank you all!”

Speaking to mangalorean.com, Shivani’s mom-Surekha said, ” I feel that I am blessed by God for giving my child a new life-it was my duty to save my daughter in the time of her need. Although I suffered tremendous pain during the kidney transplant process, I don’t mind it because I sacrificed it for the sake of my dear daughter, who had gone through all the pain through many years. I am glad that she narrated her life experience and also thanked the doctors and people responsible during the valedictory function of “Jeevanvileena”-a organ donation campaign organized by AJ Shetty Hospital and Research Centre. Me and my husband will support our daughter in any future awareness programmes pertaining to organ donation. Apart from having her own blog, she is planning for an online campaign too. It is a very good initiative taken by Dr Prashanth Marla and AJ Hospital in bringing awareness to donate organs and save lives. If I could do it, anyone can do it- please come forward to donate your organs when someone is desperately in need of it”

Also speaking to mangalorean.com, Shivani’s dad-Surakshith, a advocate by profession said, ” I thank my wife who came forward to donate her kidney to my daughter, when mine and my son’s kidney didn’t match. God has really saved my daughter through my wife, and I am also grateful to all the doctors, hospital staff and all those who were responsible for the recovery of my child. Although it cost us nearly 6 lakhs for the organ transplant expenses, but a part of the expenses was borne by our close friends/donors/well-wishers, and even AJ Hospital gave good concessions on the surgery expenses. Thank you all. Although AJ Shetty hospital has come forward with an organ donation campaign, many other organizations/hospitals/religious institutions should also start such campaign to attract more organ donors.”

“With her spirit, she never wanted to stop doing anything. She wanted to keep living her life, dancing and stage acting; she just wouldn’t slow down. My daughter is my inspiration. Her courage gives me peace. Donating my kidney to my daughter when she needed it, it’s the best thing I could have done I suppose, you do anything for your kids. I will be there all the way for her. You don’t like to see your kids suffer so you’d rather take their pain than for them to go through it. Like I decided to donate one of my organ to my daughter, I want to make others aware of the good of organ donation. A lot of people don’t because they don’t reckon it will happen to them. They just need to tick the box or make their pledge on the organ donor card” said Shivani’s mom, Surekha.

Let us all follow in the footsteps of Surekha Shetty, and pledge to be be organ donor and save a life. And if you decide to be organ donor, make sure you record your decision on the register and be ensure that your decision will be known; Inform and discuss with your family and dear ones; Help your family and friends understand and remember your decision; and once you receive your donor card, Always carry your Organ Donor Card in your wallet. It is important for your family to be aware of your wishes as WITHOUT their consent your organs / tissue cannot be donated.

For more details about organ donation undertaken by AJ Hospital and Research Centre, call :For further information contact : 8494890800 or Email : transplant@ajhospital.in