A Hindu family and a Muslim family crossed religious boundaries to save their loved ones through an interfaith kidney swap transplant in Ahmedabad. Both, a 45-year-old Hindu man from Ahmedabad and a 42-year-old Muslim man from Udaipur, required kidney transplants due to end-stage renal disease. However, direct organ matching within their own families was not medically possible due to incompatibility.
Following extensive medical evaluations, cross-matching, and counselling, doctors at Sterling Hospital realised that donors from each family were viable matches for the recipient of the other. Overcoming cultural and religious barriers, both families agreed to the reciprocal exchange. The medical team simultaneously performed both transplant procedures. The complex surgeries were led by Dr Sonal Dalal, Dr Javed Vakil, Dr Ketan Shukla, Dr Himanshu Patel, Dr Bhavin Mehataliya, and Dr Apoorva Parekh, alongside Transplant Coordinator Rahil Shah. The surgeries were a complete success, with both recipients showing remarkable clinical improvement. The donors also recovered smoothly, and all parties were safely discharged from the hospital.
At the time of discharge, their serum creatinine levels reached healthy indicators of 1.26 mg/dL and 1.30 mg/dL.
Reflecting on the decision to save a life across faith lines, donor Kamru Nisha from Udaipur shared that when a loved one is in danger, humanity supersedes everything else, adding that she felt blessed to help give someone another chance at life. Patient Ghanshyam Nishad from Ahmedabad expressed profound gratitude, saying that his donor felt like family and that their shared journey proved love and trust are greater than any religious difference. “Organ transplants are noble acts performed by humans and serve as the last resort in saving lives.
What makes it even more memorable is the fact that two families of different faiths and beliefs expressed sheer compassion and harmony to help each other in this deed that saved two precious lives,” said Dr Santosh Marathe, Managing Director and CEO of Sterling Hospitals.
