National Transplant Games ’15 sees 200 participants display flexibility

Just seven months after his kidney transplant, 10-year-old Adil Shaikh from the city not only participated in the National Transplant Games 2015 but also won the second position in the 100m race in children’s category.

The game, in its seventh year, saw the participation of over 200 liver and kidney transplant recipients and donors on Sunday morning. The event was conducted by Dadar-based Narmada Kidney Foundation Trust.

Adil’s father Arif said he suffered from kidney dysfunction from a very early age. The problem got aggravated last year and he had to to be kept on dialysis for six months. On May 23, 2015, he underwent kidney transplant surgery. His grandmother Khurshid (60) was the donor and the surgery took place at Bombay Hospital. “It is happy to see Adil win the competition. Before the transplant, he couldn’t play like a normal child,” said Arif.

At the event, games such as race, table tennis, carrom and rifle shooting were organised. According to the organisers, the aim of the event was to show that life could be normal after the transplant, both for the donor and the recipient.

Riya Parekh (14), who secured 1st position in the 100m race in under-20 category, had undergone kidney transplant four years ago. Her mother Shruti (38), who donated the kidney to her, also participated and won first position in 21-50 category.

“Riya faced this problem due to a high polio vaccine dose. After proper detection, it was found that she was suffering from weakness due to calcium deficiency. After the transplant, we both are fine and take a healthy diet. She gave her exams three months after the surgery and did very well. We both go to swimming classes and Riya actively participates in various outdoor events,” said Shruti.

The Narmada Kidney Foundation Trust has been conducting prevention camps to create awareness about kidney and liver problems and the ways to deal with them. Dr Bharat Shah, founder of the trust, said, “The objective of these games is to demonstrate the success of organ transplants and to show how donors continue to remain fit afterwards. People are scared to undergo surgery. This event is also a platform for interaction among kidney and liver transplant patients and their families.”