Kidney lost to reclaim life

Kidney lost to reclaim life
SANJAY MANDAL

Subrata and Ratna Chanda had a choice — to die a little every day of their lives or to take a medical gamble in order to live life the way they want to, even if for a few precious years. The two chose to live.

Unable to bear the burden of husband Subrata’s survival-by-dialysis, Ratna decided to donate one of her kidneys to him — endangering her own health in the long run — and give the family a chance to end what seemed to be a never-ending ordeal.

Subrata, 45, and Ratna, 38, were married in 1999. They have an eight-year-old daughter, Sreejita.

“Our life was only about my husband’s dialysis. We were mentally and financially drained and so I decided to donate my kidney to my husband so that we can live a proper life, even if it is for a few years,” said Ratna, a patient of hypertension.

Subrata, a clerical assistant at a city school, fell ill early in 2008 and was later diagnosed with chronic renal failure. Both his kidneys were damaged and since October 2008 he has been undergoing dialysis twice a week.

“My husband is the sole earning member in our family and gets a salary of around Rs 7,000,” said Ratna.

The family from Entally was being forced to spend at least Rs 15,000 every month on Subrata’s dialysis and medicines. “We had to take loans and other family members came forward to help,” she said. Teachers and students in Subrata’s school also helped raise some funds.

Things went from bad to worse with Subrata’s body and mind crumbling under the sustained medical assault and the family’s funds drying up.

Doctors at the AMRI hospital in Dhakuria, where he was being treated, had said Subrata would not survive if the dialysis was stopped.

“We reach a point after which we could only afford the dialysis for another two to three months,” said Ratna.

It was then that she decided to donate her kidney. “She was a marginal donor as she was suffering from hypertension,” said Arghya Majumdar, the head of the nephrology department at AMRI.

Marginal donors are those above 65 years or with diabetes, hypertension, renal insufficiency, or, in some cases, infectious diseases such as hepatitis.

“Her blood pressure was controlled by a single drug and so she was considered as a donor. We explained that her hypertension might intensify over the years and affect her single kidney. But she was determined,” said Majumdar.

So, on March 30, Ratna donated her kidney and Subrata underwent the transplant. The couple received financial aid from the chief minister’s fund and also some NGOs.

“I feel much better as the agony of continuous dialysis will end,” said Subrata, lying on the hospital bed.

Ratna has lost a kidney but the smile is back on her face after months. “We just want to lead a normal life and be happy. We want to eat out, go to the movies and if all is well go to Puri next Puja,” said Ratna, recuperating at her parents’ place in Kasba.

Doesn’t she fear for her own health in future? “I wanted an end to the trauma and so it is inconsequential what happens to me after 10 years. Besides, by then my daughter will be a young woman and so I am willing to take the risk,” said Ratna, looking at little Sreejita, humming a Rabindrasangeet to herself, on Friday evening.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090411/jsp/calcutta/story_10806852.jsp