Nagpur: Wife sheds 10 kg to donate part of liver to save husband’s life

Neetu with husband Vivek Jain, who was down with liver cirrhosis

To save their loved ones, two women scripted inspiring tales as they overcame many barriers and donated their organs. If one shed kilos and gave a part of her liver to her husband, age could not stop the other woman from gifting one of her kidneys to her daughter-in-law.

Geeta Ghorpade with her mother-in-law Mangala. Geeta's kidneys failed two years ago

Neetu Jain, 46, from Nagpur adopted a punishing lifestyle to lose 10 kg after doctors said her fatty liver was an obstacle in her attempt to donate a piece of the organ to her husband Vivek Jain, 51, who was down with cirrhosis.

"My husband used to run a wine shop, but was a teetotaller initially. After 2000, he started drinking and soon he got addicted. Over the period of time, his health deteriorated so much that he was unable to walk," said Neetu.

The couple earlier looked for donors but it did not work out for some or the other reason. Neetu and Vivek - both have B+ve blood group - temporarily moved to Parel for the live cadaver donation.

"When I was told that I could not donate due to my fatty liver, I gave up chapati, oil, sweets and took the staircase to climb twelve floors of the hospital and the sixth floor apartment that I rented out in Parel," said Neetu, who weighed 97 kg before the surgery.

Vivek, who underwent the procedure at Global Hospital, said, "Today I am alive only because of my wife Neetu, it is my rebirth….. (turns emotional) she stood beside me and gave me her liver. We are happy and I want to start everything afresh soon."

Dr Ravi Mohanka, chief liver transplant surgeon at Parel's Global Hospital

Hospital CEO Dr Vivek Talaulikar shared data to show women playing the leading role in organ donations. "From 2013 till date, of 389 living kidney donors, 268 are women. From 2014 till date, of 304 living liver donors, 188 are women. Donors undergo major surgeries with no benefit to themselves," he said.

Dr Ravi Mohanka, chief liver transplant surgeon at the hospital, cited Neetu's case to stress "the women in our lives can not only give life but also save lives with their determination".

One kidney for daughter-in-law
Goregaon resident Geeta Ghorpade, 47, had to leave a promising career at an MNC bank after delivery at 28. She was found to be afflicted with an autoimmune disease that caused her kidneys to shed protein or albumen along with urine. Her nephrologist Dr Bharat Shah said both her kidneys might stop working in about five years. Two years ago, when her kidneys failed, her Pune-based mother-in-law Mangala Ghorpade, 72, came forward to help her.

"My father had passed away a year ago due to renal failure and my mother could not donate her kidney to me because of her diabetes. My mother-in-law, who comes from a family of freedom fighters, insisted that she would donate a kidney as I was her daughter and not daughter-in-law. Two years on, our bonding has become stronger and I am blessed to have her as my mother-in-law."