KOCHI: At a time when Muslim fundamentalists chopped the right hand of a Christian teacher in the name of religion, a Christian family comprising a girl and her mother has come forward to give the hands of their father who died in an accident to give a new life for a Muslim who comes from Afghanistan, the land of Taliban.
And to complete the circle, a Hindu doctor, plastic surgeon Dr Subramania Iyer, led the successful transplant surgery on Abdul Rahim (30) on April 10 and Rahim is set to be discharged from the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) here on Saturday.
T G Joseph (52), a native of Eloor and a casual labourer, died in a road accident at Edappally on April 9 and when he was declared brain dead, the team at AIMS led by Dr Iyer and transplant co-ordinator Prasad V. G. informed the family of the option to donate organs including hands.
Joseph’s eldest brother T. G. Cletus, who had already pledged his organs with wife Martina, did not have any doubts.
He discussed the option with Fransisca, wife of Joseph and daughter Aleesha, a Plus Two student. Despite the intense grief, they decided to go by the advice of Cletus. His cornea and liver too were taken while kidneys and heart could not be used.
Luckily the donor’s hands met all the parameters for transplant and the second hand transplant surgery in the country was conducted successfully. Dr Subramania Iyer visited the family on Tuesday to express his gratitude for the grand gesture.
However, even as a new direction is given to Mr Rahim’s, life’s dark alleys are staring at Francisca and Aleesha as the only breadwinner of the family has departed with his dream of building a home not yet materialised. They currently reside at their ancestral home with the family of Joseph’s younger brother T. G Biju.
