URGENT APPEAL FOR A KIDNEY DONOR FOR A YOUNG PARSI LADY: BLOOD GROUP “O”

The following is a Medical Appeal to North American Zarathustis shared with FEZANA by Shahrukh Marfatia for his daughter who lives in Calgary.

Shahrukh writes:

It has been four years since my first appeal for a potential donor for my daughter who suffers from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Sadly, Covid stalled everything, and we could only pick up the donor search again in the past year or so. We did find a donor who registered with the Calgary Hospital Admin Transplant Centre. We were very hopeful that our daughter’s kidney transplant would have been done by now and that she would be leading a good, normal, quality life with her husband and her young boys.

After all the tests and anxious waiting, we were informed a few months back, that the donor is an incompatible match for my daughter which could lead to a rejection of the donor kidney.

Hence, my daughterand the donor were entered into the Canadian National program called the Paired Exchange Program (PEP).  This is an option that matches incompatible donor-recipient pairs with other pairs, and they exchange’ donors. Unfortunately, we have now been informed in the February matching round (there are only three/four yearly) that they could not find a suitable donor for my daughter from the PEP. We are therefore, again, making all efforts to find a direct matching donor for my daughter.

My daughter’s blood group is “O” and we appeal now for American and Canadian donors who are blood group “O” as well. She will be 40 this year and has twin boys who are now 7 years old.Managing family and with her even more declining health situation, as you can imagine, is tough on her. Her key CKD markers like GFR are now at the final stage - 5.

My family, and I would be so, so grateful if you can consider my appeal to be a donor for my daughter. I know that this requires a tremendous sacrifice on the part of a donor, and we will be very, very thankful for this gift of life to my daughter with your altruistic, selfless act. Please also share this appeal with your friends and communities where you feel this would be appropriate.

I hasten to add that all admissible expenses for medical and if needed travel and accommodation expenses will be paid for, in accordance with the health system guidelines in the US and Canada. The plan would be, if a matching donor was found from this appeal, in Canada, then the potential donor would be referred to the Calgary Transplant Centre. For the US potential donor, the transplant surgery would take place in the US. We are currently exploring a couple of transplant hospitals on the East Coast.

If any of you would be so kindly interested, please do email me at: kmsdonorreplies@hotmail.com and once I hear from you I willbe happy to put you in touch with the respective Canada and US Hospital transplant offices.

Thank you and with kind regards.

Sincerely,

Shahrukh Marfatia

A Distressed Father