Karachi: In a moment of unimaginable grief, a Karachi-based female nephrologist has set a rare example of courage and humanity by donating both kidneys of her 23-year-old son, who passed away at a private hospital on Tuesday night after a tragic road accident.
The kidneys were donated at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), saving the lives of two patients awaiting organ transplantation.
The deceased, Syed Sultan Zafar, a dental student at Ziauddin Medical and Dental College, was the only son of the grieving mother, who is an associate professor at SIUT and a specialist in kidney diseases.
Sultan Zafar was also the grandson of renowned health experts Prof. Tipu Sultan and Prof. Dr. Shershah Syed, whose father had died a few years ago from liver cancer and was buried in Kohi Goth on the outskirts of Karachi, where the family runs a charity hospital. Sultan Zafar will now be buried alongside his father.
Narrating the heart-wrenching ordeal, Prof. Tipu Sultan said the young student suffered severe head injuries in a road accident at DHA Phase 8 last week. He underwent multiple emergency brain surgeries and remained on life support for several days at Ziauddin Clifton Hospital.
“On Tuesday evening, he lost all reflexes and was only breathing through a ventilator. After prolonged discussions outside the ICU, his mother, Dr. Mahar Afroze, made the brave decision to shift her son’s body to SIUT for organ donation,” Prof. Tipu Sultan said.
“She is a nephrologist who knows the immense importance of cadaver organ donation in saving lives. Her son’s kidneys were immediately transplanted into two patients who were on the waiting list. Unfortunately, other organs could not be harvested as there were no immediate recipients available,” he added.
Prof. Dr. Shershah Syed paid tribute to his daughter-in-law, calling her decision “extraordinary courage in the face of unbearable loss.”
“Dr. Mahar Afroze is a great doctor, a real human being and a courageous mother. She made a decision that will inspire the entire medical community and people of Pakistan. We are all very proud of her. I salute her for her strength and compassion.”
Pakistan faces an acute shortage of organ donations, largely due to cultural and religious barriers. Thousands of patients suffering from kidney, liver and heart failure die every year because families refuse to allow organ harvesting from their deceased loved ones.
Health experts believe that the act of Dr. Mahar Afroze has set an example for others by showing that cadaver organ donation can save many lives.
“This is a monumental act of humanity. She took the body of her only son to her own institution in an ambulance, knowing that his organs could save others. She has two daughters and has now lost her only son, but in her grief, she has given hope to others,” Prof. Tipu Sultan said.
As the young man is laid to rest beside his father in Kohi Goth, his mother’s courage serves as a beacon for a nation where thousands die waiting for organ donations each year.
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