Twenty-three-year-old, who lost both her hands in 2014 after falling into deadly platform gap at Ghatkopar station as a teenager, gets hands from brain-dead Chennai patient
Monika at Global Hospitals, Parel, just before she was wheeled in for her life-changing surgery
APPLYING mehndi on her hands and performing the aarti for Ganesh Chaturthi are Monika More's main wishes for next year. The 23-year-old, who lost her arms in a 2014 train accident at Ghatkopar station, underwent transplant surgery at Global Hospitals in Parel on Friday. Post the successful procedure, her mother and relatives are jubilant that she finally has a shot at a better life. The family was to have their Ganesh visarjan on Friday which was postponed as a donor became available on Thursday.
"Monika used to get upset during weddings or when she would see anyone with mehndi on their hands. She missed applying mehndi on her hands," said Vishwas Jadhav, Monika's uncle. "Monika was not able to do anything beyond holding a spoon and pen with the artificial limbs. She could not take a bath, comb her hair, eat. At 16 years, she became completely dependent on her mother. With the human limbs, she can become independent again."
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Monika in her room at Global Hospitals, Parel
Kavita, Monika's mother, was overwhelmed. "I am happy that the surgery went well. We are grateful to for MP Kirit Somaiya who has been supporting Monika since her accident. He made this surgery possible. We have had no source of livelihood since Monika's father died in 2019," she said.
After graduating in Commerce, Monika had been working as a social worker at a nursing home in Kurla, earning Rs 10,000 per month. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, she has been at home.
"Her younger brother, Karthik, is studying. Their grandmother stays with them, They get a pension of Rs 3,000 and rent is Rs 7,000. We could never have imagined having this surgery that costs around Rs 25 lakh and lifelong medications that will cost Rs 2 lakh every year," said Jadhav.
Monica in 2013, before her accident
"Monika was always shy and everyone's favourite as she is the first girl in the family. She was close to her father. Somaiya stood by her always. He provided her with imported artificial limbs worth almost Rs 22 lakh. She encourages many handicapped people whom she met through Somaiya," Jadhav added. The family has been assured by Somaiya that the cost of surgery would be paid for by his Yuvak Pratishthan and Global Hospitals.
How the surgery got underway
Monika was registered at Global Hospitals a few years ago where, accompanied by Somaiya, she met Dr Nilesh Satbhai. On Thursday morning, the family got a call from Global Hospitals about a donor having become available and that a team would be coming to collect her blood to see if she matches the donor's. With their blood groups matching, at 4 pm, they were asked to get admitted. After a host of tests, including COVID-19, she was taken into the operation theatre at 11.45 for pre-operative preparation.
the team of doctors that performed the transplant
The surgery started in the wee hours of Friday and concluded at 5.10 pm. In all, the operation lasted over 16 hours.
"We have been told that the surgery is successful and all her parameters are fine. As a precaution, they have put her on ventilator support and she is in the ICU. We have been instructed to maintain a high standard of hygiene to prevent her from contracting any infections. We are happy that our Monika will be back to normal soon," said Jadhav.
Kavita More, Monika’s mother
Somaiya too was excited on Friday. He said, "We are happy that the doctors operated on her successfully and she will get rid of her artificial limbs. In less than 24 hours, we have collected a sum of R10 lakh for her surgery cost, which includes a donation of R3 lakh from the Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshyari."
Doc from Kochi involved
The team at Gleneagle Global Hospital, Parel, which performed the transplant included a doctor from Amrita Hospital, Kochi, Kerala, who has done similar transplant surgeries. Also a team from Global Hospitals, Chennai also participated.
Dr Nilesh Satbhai, plastic reconstruction surgeon, under whose care Monika is admitted, told mid-day, "We had to take special care and follow all the transplant guidelines and COVID protocols during the procedure, which has its own technical challenges. The surgery went well. Recovery will take time. She is under observation and we are closely monitoring all her parameters. She would be in the ICU for a few days and then would be shifted to her room. We presume she would have to be in the hospital for a few weeks." Dr Satbhai said this is the first limb transplant of Maharashtra.
The donor
Sources attached to the hospital said, "The donor was a 32-year-old male who was diagnosed with a brain haemorrhage and was admitted at Gleneagles Global Hospitals, Chennai and declared brain dead on August 26. The family decided to donate the organs."
"The limbs left from Chennai around 10.30 pm and reached Mumbai airport around 1.20 am. In just 10 minutes, the limbs were brought to Global Hospitals, Parel and surgery began around 2.30 am," the source said.
From accident to transplant — Monika's journey in dates
Lost both hands in a railway accident at Ghatkopar station on January 11, 2014
Kirit Somaiya's Yuvak Pratishthan gave her electronic artificial hands costing R22 lacs in July 2014
Monika was studying in SNDT junior college, Ghatkopar West at the time of the accident, she was in Std 11. She graduated in 2018-19.
Got a job at a nursing home in Kurla as a social worker
Met Dr Nilesh Satbhai at Global Hospitals, Parel in October 2019. Yuvak Pratishthan and More family decided to go for a hands transplant.
Budget for the surgery was R20 lakh. Yuvak Pratishthan and Global Hospitals took responsibility for the cost
Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, six months were lost
On August 27, 2020, Global Hospitals received a message from their Chennai hospital about a brain dead patients whose family decided to donate his organs, including his hands
Surgery completed successfully on August 28 at Global Hospitals, Parel
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