-year-old Navaz Patuck was suffering from kidney failure, her 71-year-old sister Gulcheher Philips agreed to donate one of her kidneys without giving a second thought.
A younger sister's search for a kidney donor for the past four months came to an end after her elder sister decided to fly back from UK in order to donate one of her kidneys.
Two weeks ago, while 65-year-old Navaz Patuck was suffering from kidney failure, her 71-year-old sister Gulcheher Philips agreed to donate one of her kidneys without giving a second thought.
"My sister and I are very different human beings. Even if our DNAs are practically equal, and our kidneys are a perfect match, we both are very different. She does not like to say a word and I like to talk all the time," Gulcheher said.
While organ donation by a senior citizen is a rare scenario, according to the doctor who conducted the surgery, the age limit does not matter if the organ is healthy. Philips, who is a brain tumour (non-malignant) survivor had donated one of her kidneys at Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai.
In 1995, 71-year-old Phillips was diagnosed with brain tumour. She came to Mumbai for kidney transplant, after medical consultation, few doctors denied her permission to donate kidney but after doctors at Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre evaluated her and saw that the kidney function was completely normal they informed her that her kidney can be donated.
Patuck, the recipient was suffering from kidney failure and was on dialysis for over four months. According to the doctors, the level of creatinine was about seven to eight before undergoing the transplant.
Dr Rushi Deshpande, Senior Consultant in Department of Nephrology, Jaslok Hospital, says, "Every year we have only handful of cases where an elder person donates his/her organs. It is very rare. According to me age is just a number and it can't be a barrier for organ donation. The donation depends on the functioning of the organ. We performed laparoscopic donor nephrectomy.
"There is lack of awareness about the fact that age is not a barrier to transplant any organ. As long as the condition of the organ is healthy. Biological age is not the same as chronological age hence no donor should be denied a chance of renal evaluation before considering the case," he adds.
Speaking about how her sister motivated her, Patuck, recipient, said, "My elder sister has been of great support to me as she has been full of positive energy. She insisted that I go ahead with the transplant. Her life changed after she survived tumour."
The patient has been discharged after 12 days of surgery. "The recipient's health is completely normal with 0.8 creatinine while generally 1.2 is considered to be normal," said Dr Deshpande.
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