GOWRI MANICKAVASAGAM
AHMEDABAD, FEB 13
While the world is celebrating Valentine’s Day on Sunday, February 14, with cards, flowers, chocolates, candlelight dinners, and other tokens of love, an Ahmedabad couple will be celebrating 23rd wedding anniversary which also falls on Valentine’s Day with a difference.
Vinod Patel, 45, will also be gifting his wife something unique. Yes, to express his feelings and strengthen this eternal bond of 23 years, Vinod will be donating one of his kidneys to his wife Ritaben Patel.
At the stroke of 6 am on Valentine’s Day, the kidney transplantion will be done at Shalby Multi-Speciality Hospitals on SG Highway. A new dawn awaits the middle-aged couple from New Ranip in Ahmedabad.
Speaking with navjeevanexpress.com, the caring hubby Vinod Patel says, “For 23 years, I and my wife stood together in good and bad situations of life. Suddenly my wife started facing kidney-related issues and she is going through a lot of pain and I am not able to see her like this. All these years she stood with me in all situations of life. Then how could I let her fight this problem alone? Therefore I have decided to donate her one of my kidneys. I am ready to live my life with the support of one kidney. Call it my love or my duty; she has been the most lovable and caring member of the family. Because of her fight with kidney issues and struggling to live a normal life, every family member got disturbed. So I quickly decided to help my wife by donating one of my kidneys.”
“I want to conclude by saying that life is indeed in God’s hands but if we can help someone in alleviating their sorrow, we must do so. We have to help those in need. God has given us two kidneys but we can live life with the support of one kidney, so if you love someone more than anything, I urge you all to make a decision and express your love by eliminating their pain and sorrow and give them the chance to Live A Life Full,” says the dutiful hubby.
A confident and grateful Ritaben says, “We don’t need gifts to express our love and to care for each other. We complement each other. With this kidney transplant, I will regain everything to take care of my loving hubby and lead a healthy life. We are indebted to Dr Siddharth Mavani and his team to arrive at this crucial decision in life.”
Without a kidney transplant, Ritaben, would have to undergo dialysis thrice a week for the rest of her life.
“While she can continue on dialysis, the quality of life will be much better if she has a kidney transplant. In the long run, a transplant will prove to be the cheaper option than dialysis,” said Dr Siddharth Mavani, consultant nephrologists and transplant physician with Shalby Hospital.
Dr Deepak P Joshi, consultant urologist, said, “Ritaben Patel was ailing from kidney issues for the past 3 years and was undergoing medication. But it was slowly advancing towards failure with severe complications. After which her husband Vinodbhai Patel came forward as a potential kidney donor. Both of them were investigated and found appropriate for kidney transplantation.”
