Mumbai: Rail mishap victim seeks funds for hand transplant

"I am trying to raise funds from nil so that I can undergo hand transplant surgery," says Monika More, a railway accident victim, who lost both her arms in 2014 when she slipped between a foot-wide gap between the platform and a local's footboard.

Her father, Ashok More, who met Asia's first arm transplant patient Shreya Siddanagowder last September, had saved some money for his daughter's hand transplant surgery. He passed away a few weeks ago of an illness.

"My father had collected a few lakh rupees for my surgery. But due to his illness, we had to spend all the money for his medical treatment. He passed away on January 26 due to kidney failure and diabetic issues," said Monika, a Kurla resident.

A B Com graduate, Monika is now waiting to get a job in railway and is also trying to arrange funds of around Rs 25 lakh for her hand transplant surgery. She was fitted with myoelectric-controlled prosthetic arms in July 2014.

"Doctors have given us an estimate of the expense. It is around Rs 25 lakh for the surgery. All the medical tests have been completed at a Mumbai-based private hospital. While we are trying to arrange the money in advance, we are still searching for a potential brain-dead donor whose family might be willing to donate the hands of the deceased," said Monika.

With a younger brother who is in the first year of his graduation, and a mother who is a housewife, Monika is waiting to start working and be a source of income for her family.

"My family has been my support system. I am happy to complete my graduation and looking forward to having an independent life," she said.

There is a lack of public awareness about donating the limbs of a brain-dead person. In most cases, the family members of the patient are reluctant to donate limbs.