Kottayam girl gets a new lease of life, thanks to crowdfunding

“It will take 72 hours post-surgery to declare the complete result. She has already accepted the donor’s organs. It is a matter of time before she is shifted from ventilator to a normal environment,” Hassan says.

For Hassan, a private land surveyor from Kanjirappalli in Kottayam, the Rs 40-lakh surgery seemed impossible.

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“But it was made possible through crowdfunding. Thanks to newspapers and social media, which spread the news, and hundreds of people who contributed to our account,” he says.

Fathima herself had researched and chosen Apollo Hospital in Chennai for the surgery.

“She used to spend a lot of time on the Internet, contacting doctors and experts abroad. It was one of her friends from the media who published a report in a Malayalam daily about the huge expenses for the surgery. Hundreds of people shared it on the social media,” Hassan says.

“Two weeks ago, we were suddenly alerted about a possible donor,” he adds.

Hassan named his daughter Ambili (moon) as she was born on a full moon day.

“She was diagnosed with a hole in her heart when she was two. The defect would stall lung function by affecting blood flow. Due to this, she would collapse suddenly and recover only with oxygen support. She underwent treatment throughout her life, which probably made her so courageous,” says Hassan, who has been running to various hospitals in Kerala with his only child for the last two decades.

“A team of doctors headed by Dr Jayakumar at Kottayam Medical College finally suggested transplanting the heart and both lungs,” he said.

T Sunder, a heart-lung transplant surgeon whose team has already conducted 10 such surgeries, said Fathima is doing well.

“Breathing machines were removed today. Her heart and both lungs are working properly. She may be shifted to the room in two or three days,” he said.

Roy Sam Daniel, principal of CMS College in Kottayam, taught Fathima for four years.

“She is one of the best students. She did well in B.Com and M.Com while keeping the dreams of civil service alive,” he said. Fatima has written the final year M.Com exam.