Mumbai: 22-year-old gets hands to hold and wings to fly

Jagdev Singh, who aspired to become a kabbadi player, lost all his limbs after he came in contact with a high-tension wire

Dussehra was lucky for a 22-year-old from Rajashtan, who lost all his limbs in a tragic accident a year-and-a-half ago. On Friday, Jagdev Singh flew with his father and brother-in-law to Mumbai and underwent a 13-hour-long surgery, where his hands were transplanted, giving him another chance to live an independent life.

"We got a call around 5.30 pm on October 14, about a pair of limbs being donated. We immediately left for Delhi, which is 350 km away from where we live and took a flight to Mumbai. We reached Mumbai at 7.30 am the next day, and soon investigations, followed by procedures, began for the bilateral hand transplant. The surgery began at 4 pm and it went on till 8 am on Saturday," said Nirmal Dhillon, Singh's brother-in-law, who accompanied him to Mumbai.

Singh with his mother

Singh was a second year Bachelors of Arts student when he lost all his limbs, after he came in contact with a high-tension wire, while working on his farm. "Doctors tried saving his limbs, but after 21 days, decided to amputate them," said Dhillon. He said Singh was shattered as he was supposed to join a kabbadi academy that year. "He was a good player and was looking forward to a career as a sportsman. The accident shattered his dreams and he was depressed, as he became completely dependent. We therefore, decided to get hand transplants for him at any cost," said Dhillon.

When contacted, Dr Nilesh Sathbhai, plastic surgeon, and hand and reconstructive surgeon, Global Hospital, who led the surgery said that when he first met Singh a month-and-a-half ago, he looked dejected and depressed. "We counselled him and made him meet Monica More, our first hand transplant patient. The interaction with More gave him the much-needed emotional boost," he said.

Singh is currently recuperating in the ICU post-surgery. "We had got him artificial legs to walk. But, he was facing difficulty walking, because he didn't have hands. With functional hands, things will be better," said Dhillon. He said while the family is doing their best to make him independent, they are presently struggling with funds for his treatment. "We are farmers. We are trying our best to raise the funds. We need around Rs 35 lakh. There will be other expenses in the future, as well," said Dhillon.