The girl, who was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that affects the liver, received over Rs 18 lakh in crowdfunding for her liver transplant.
Fatimah, a 10-year-old girl from Bandipore district in Kashmir, has been saved from a rare liver disease because of support from well-wishers across the country. The girl, who was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that affects the liver, received over Rs 18 lakh in crowdfunding for her liver transplant.
"We had no money for her transplant surgery. Few of our relatives and friends came for our support and raised funds for her surgery through social media but what was so touching was the response we got from people we did not know who wanted to help. The money was sufficient for our local stay expenses, some medicines, and post-transplant medications. The transplant still could not be afforded by us but all the thanks to the hospital for waiving charges," said Syed Hussain, Fatimah's father.
Coming from a disadvantaged family of laborers, Fatimah, a student of the class sixth, was diagnosed with the disease, which affects one in two lakh people, and was admitted at a hospital in Srinagar for four months ago. The hospital mainly treated her for jaundice and evaluated that she needed a liver transplant. Despite the evaluation, her condition continued to deteriorate because of lack of funds. Her cousins then started to raise money for her on social media and crowdfunding websites.
"In this disease, the body's altered immune function causes one's own antibodies to damage the liver. The body's immune system instead of attacking viruses, bacteria and other pathogens, attacks the liver leading to chronic inflammation and serious damage to liver cells. Considering her critical condition, we decided to perform the liver transplant surgery on her. Patient's father Syed Hussain, 48-year-old, became her liver donor. We performed the 12-hour long surgery and all her liver function tests are normal. She is fit to go back to her village," said Dr Anupam Sibal, senior consultant, pediatric gastroenterology, Apollo Hospitals.
"Fatimah had deep jaundice, fluid accumulated in her belly and the pressure in the blood vessels supplying the liver was high. Her liver had already shrunken and despite therapy bringing about some improvement, the fluid accumulation in her stomach persisted. She remained chronically ill and a new liver was the only option left to save her life," said Dr Neerav Goyal, Senior Consultant, Liver Transplant and Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic Surgery.
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 "Liver Transplant")
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