Karachi: In a moment of unimaginable pain, a Karachi female nephrologist donated both kidneys of his only 23 -year -old son, who was declared brain dead after a tragic traffic accident, saving the lives of two patients waiting for transplant, The news reported on Thursday.
The deceased, Syed Sultan Zafar, 23, was a student of dentistry at the Ziauddin Medical and Dental College and the only son of Dr. Mahar Afroze, nephrologist consultant and associated professor at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplant (Siut).
He was the grandson of two of the highly respected health experts of Pakistan: Professor Tipu Sultan and Professor Dr. Shershah Syed.
According to Professor Tipu, the father of the late Syed Furqan Zafar had died a few years ago due to liver cancer and is buried in Kohi Gothi, where the family directs a charity hospital. Sultan Zafar will now be buried with his father.
Naving the devastating test, Professor Tipu Sultan said that Sultan Zafar met with a fatal road accident on Wednesday morning while driving with friends in a private housing society in Karachi.
“He was urgently taken to the emergency room with multiple head injuries and was unconscious upon arrival. He was immediately intubated and transferred to the ICU after the initial surgery to eliminate the blood clots from his brain,” said Professor Tipu.
“At 1 a.m. on Saturday, Sultan was taken back to the operational theater for another craniotomy. We spent those days with constant fear and anguish, unable to sleep or focus on anything other than his condition,” added Professor Tipu.
Sultan Zafar initially showed signs of improvement and was transferred to a room for nursing care. But on Tuesday morning, his condition suddenly deteriorated. “He developed respiratory difficulties and was transferred back to the ICU. He was reinbited, but at 4 pm, he had lost all the reflexes, and his pupils were fixed and dilated,” Professor Tipu recalled.
The family was shattered. “There are no words to describe what we were going through. After prolonged discussions outside the ICU that last more than five hours, Mahar Afroze made the most selfless and brave decision of his life, to donate his son’s organs so that others could live,” said Professor Tipu, with his voice breaking.
Dr. Afroze personally organized that his son’s body was transported in an ambulance to Siut on Tuesday night, knowing the importance of donation of bodies.
“She is a nephrologist who sees patients die daily due to the shortage of organ donors. He wanted the death of Zafar to save lives,” said Professor Tipu.
In Siut, both kidneys were transplanted in two patients who had been waiting for years. Unfortunately, other organs could not be harvested because there were no immediate recipients available.
Professor Dr. Sherhah Syed, the grandfather of Sultan Zafar, paid an emotional tribute to his daughter -in -law. “Dr. Mahar Afroze is a great doctor, a true human being and a brave mother. He has given an example for each family and doctor in Pakistan. We are all very proud of her,” he said.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Siut confirmed the successful transplant, saying that the surgeries were carried out in the early morning by a team of urologists and anesthetists.
“This generous donation of Dr. Afroze in an hour of deep pain and anguish is widely acclaimed by the members of the medical profession and society in general,” reads the statement.
Siut’s director, Professor Adib Rizvi praised the family’s decision. “They gave the gift of life to two patients who had no donors in their families and were on dialysis for years. We call for society to emulate this noble act,” he said.
Pakistan faces a critical shortage of organ donors. Cultural erroneous concepts and religious concerns often prevent families from allowing the collection of organs of deceased loved ones, despite the fact that thousands of patients die every year by kidney, liver and heart failure.
“This act should inspire others,” Professor Tipu Sultan urged, he added: “Mahar Afroze has lost his only son and now only two daughters left, but he chose to give hope for others. That is the true humanity.”
While Sultan Zafar rests with his father in Kohi Goth, his mother’s strength against the unbearable tragedy is a lighthouse of hope for thousands of patients expecting organ transplants in the country.
