Triple transplant gives new lease of life to teenager

What makes the tolerance model so unique in this case, said doctors, is that the use of drugs is slashed — from 100 per cent to 10 per cent.

IKDR Director Dr H L Trivedi said that “to my knowledge tis is the first operation of it’s kind. This is the first triple organ transplant using the complete tolerance model.”

Her spleen and bone marrow were transplanted, the doctor said, to create a “tolerant” environment for the “foreign” kidney cells, which would otherwise face a “hostile atmosphere in the body. The use of drugs will be reduced further with time,” he added.

But for Tina, for whom Khushboo’s death has meant life, the technicalities are not important. Khushboo, the daughter of an Army personnel stationed at Ahmedabad, was bitten by a snake on September 21. She was kept on a ventilator at Army Hospital for eight days, but remained brain dead. On September 28, with no chances of recovery in sight she was “declared dead” and her organs transplanted.

Tina, who received the organs, made such a remarkable recovery after the operation that she was discharged from hospital by the end of October. The frail Tina is happy today. “I am fine. In fact, this is the first time in six months that I have returned home,” she said, resting on a bed in her Sadar Bazaar house near the Army Cantonment.

The girl — bedridden for over six months — at present weighs only 20 kg. Her mother, Bhanuben Vaghela, is unable to hold back her tears. “That Army saheb

(Khusboo’s father) met us once. I thanked him and he was also happy that Tina would live because of his daughter who died.”

However, Tina, who was on a dialysis machine at IKDR for the past six months, still cannot walk, as her failed kidneys also caused partial paralysis. Doctors say now that her kidneys are functioning and bone marrow has been replaced, she will be able to walk in about six months.

From Saturday she will be treated free of cost at Navrangpura Orthopaedic Hospital for her paralysis.

Tina was eight years old when she was first taken to a hospital with a swelling in her eyes. She was referred to the Civil Hospital, where she was diagnosed as having “failing kidneys.” Since then her condition has been deteriorating. Her father, Ishwar Vaghela, who was a sweeper at the Civil Hospital, died about four years ago.

When asked about the paralysis, Dr Trivedi said the bone disease is a result of the failed kidneys. “Now that we have transplanted her kidneys, spleen and bone marrow, she should be able to walk in six months,” he said.

The transplants were carried out by a team of doctors and surgeons, including Shailesh Rawal, Pranjal Modi, Tejanshu Shah, Aruna Vanikar and Ashwin Patel, at the institute.

Meanwhile, Tina’s family is celebrating. While relatives have gathered to see the girl they thought would not live long, Tina kept looking through an album that contained photographs of a childhood birthday.