World Organ Donation Day: The miraculous story of Sruthi

Kochi: August 13 is observed as the World Organ Donation Day. On this important day, let’s hear the miraculous survival story of Sruthi who works as a beautician.

Ten years ago, Sruthi was given a new lease of life, in a heart transplant surgery performed under the guidance of Dr Jose Chacko Periappuram, at the Lisie hospital. The heart of Lalichan aka Joseph Mathew, who was declared brain dead, was transplanted to Sruthi’s body, at the culmination of a series of events.

At an event organised at the Lisie hospital in Ernakulam, Lalichan’s sister Elsamma embraced Sruthi on the dais, kissed her, and listened to the heartbeats of her ‘deceased’ brother. Elsamma’s family hails from Kottayam district. Actor Anna Ben and hospital director Fr. Paul Karedan were ‘witnesses’ to the rare event.

Sruthi describes her journey so far as nothing but unbelievable.

“Sruthi’s transplant surgery was nothing short of a medical miracle. The patient who was born with a single kidney was diagnosed with a heart disease known as Takayasu when she was studying in class 12. The muscle tissues of the heart tend to weaken in patients diagnosed with the disease. No one thought Sruthi would survive for long, and performing a heart transplant surgery on such a patient was dubbed as being an unwise decision. But defying all odds, heart transplant surgery was successfully performed on a Takayasu patient for the first time in Asia,” recollects Dr Jose Chacko.

Sruthi is daughter of Piravam natives Sasi and Santha. 

“I had suffered an infection after the surgery, it has been a roller coaster ride so far, however now I wish for someone to accompany me in this journey, a partner who understands me and my health issues,” said Sruthi.