33 YEARS OF SURVIVAL
STRUGGLE – HOPE – HAPPINESS
A Short Story of a Long Term Renal Transplant Recipient.!!!
The most joyous and beautiful period of a human life is the period of entering into family life through childhood and adolescence. I was diagnosed with kidney disease when I was 32 years old, due to
high blood pressure (Hypertension )and both my kidneys stopped working. So when my life was in danger, my sixty-year-old mother came to as my donor. She gave me one of her two kidneys and brought me back to a new life. I was 32 years old at the time and my daughter was only four years old.
Many had doubts as to whether the age of the mother would affect the further functioning of the kidney given to me. But none of that affected my kidney function in
any way. 33 years later, my mother’s kidney still works well in my body.
In 1988, as there was no kidney transplant surgery in Kerala, the transplant was performed at Apollo Hospital in Chennai,
Tamil Nadu, On March 30,1988,
the team led by Dr. Thachil, a chief neurosurgeon at Apollo Hospital transplanted one of my mother’s two kidneys into my body in a 6-hour operation. After transplantation showed small rejection and three needle biopsies have to be done to find out the cause.
It was the beginning of a new life for me. There have been a number of health issues, including Immediate rejection, after organ transplant surgery. I was able to overcome it all and move on.
Time went by like that with my work in many places. In the meanwhile I had minor health problems but I did not allow any of them to interfere with my future life.
Meanwhile, in 2015, my blood pressure rose due to a serious problem called “renal artery stenosis”. On scanning a thin vein to the transplanted kidney was found to be twisted and the blood flow was obstructed,
then underwent an emergency surgery to straighten the twisted nerve.
One health problem after another kept bothering me again and again.
In 2016, another surgery was required. Continued use of life-saving drugs usually reduces the strength of the nerves and bones of the organ recipients. So in 2017
I had a surgery for a hernia at Ramachandra hospital at Bangalore. Again, the long-term use of life-saving drugs and anti-rejection drugs made me suffer from skin cancer. Since 2018, about seven tumors have been removed several times.
Meanwhile, the Kidney Foundation was established in 2010 for the welfare of kidney patients. Then in 2017, the Kidney Warriors Foundation was formed under the leadership of Vasundhara Raghavan, an organ donor and cancer survivor. Both organizations are currently working for the welfare of kidney patients.
The two biggest achievements in my transplant life were winning a medal in the 11km marathon at the 2019 Special World Olympics in Abu Dhabi and climbing the Colorado mountain minus 23 degrees 15000 feet north of the United States. The other two achievements were its inclusion in the India Book of Records and the United States Book of Records.
My work in the field of kidney disease has given me many International positions.
I have been selected as the Ambassador to India for AAKP, the largest organization in the United States in the field of kidney disease, and GKF Charity, the largest organization in Europe. I was subsequently elected an Associate Member of the International Federation of Kidney Foundation, based in Mexico, in 2020.
I consider it a great achievement to be able to host the first ever Transplant Games in India in 2018 and to have received congratulations from the Prime Minister and of India.
The secret to the longevity of my transplanted kidney and all other achievements and success is the blessings of Almighty & prayer of my Mother who donated the organ to me and the love and prayers of my loved ones who love me.
The hands of Almighty God were with me in every struggle throughout my life, or
I would not be with you today. The separation of my father, who was always with me and supported me, is still the greatest loss of my life.
My daughter, who was only 4 years old at the time, now lives permanently in the United States as a family, and I had another son in 1992, he and his family now live in Bangalore.
My dear mother and my living God who gave birth to me two, is now in good health and happy at the age of ninety-three in my ancestral home with my brother and family.
My gratitude to Dr. Joseph.V.Thachil, who performed my organ transplant surgery and Dr.M.K.Mani who treated me is beyond words.
I am grateful and indebted to a lot of people Including my life partner for every rise and achievement in my life. My love and gratitude for them, it does not end in words.🙏
Visit:
www.kidneyfoundationkerala.org
https://www.facebook.com/chandra.sekharan.56614
Mob. 7907864084 / 8891745802
V. G. Chandrasekharan
