By CHENNAI: Ayesha Rashan, a 19-year-old from Karachi, Pakistan, has been given a new lease on life following a successful heart transplant surgery at Chennai’s MGM Healthcare. Rashan’s journey to India began in 2019 when she arrived with a severe heart dysfunction, which ultimately led to heart failure.
Reports from NDTV reveal that Rashan was placed on ECMO, a vital life support system for individuals facing life-threatening conditions affecting the heart or lungs. After her heart pump developed a valve leak, Rashan underwent a complete heart transplant. The procedure, valued at over Rs3.5 million, was generously covered by the hospital and the Chennai-based Aishwaryam Trust.
Dr KR Balakrishnan, Director of the Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant, along with Dr Suresh Rao, Co-Director of the Institute, were made aware of Rashan’s urgent situation and the financial assistance required. They explained that Rashan received the heart promptly due to the absence of other claimants, emphasizing that foreign nationals typically cannot obtain organ transplants. Rashan’s new heart came from a 69-year-old brain-dead patient from Delhi.
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Describing Rashan as “like my daughter,” the doctors stressed the importance of every life, irrespective of nationality.
Expressing gratitude to the Indian government, Rashan and her mother, Sanobar, highlighted the lack of adequate medical facilities in Pakistan. They disclosed that doctors in Pakistan had informed them of the unavailability of transplant facilities.
Despite her recent health ordeal, Rashan is now preparing to return to Pakistan with aspirations of pursuing a career as a fashion designer.
This story echoes the challenges faced by another Pakistani, Mansoor Ahmed, the World Cup-winning field hockey goalkeeper, who sought a heart transplant in India in 2018. Ahmed, then 49, encountered complications arising from a pacemaker and stents implanted in his heart.
