Lung Transplant Donor Treatment in India

Priya Mehta, a 42-year-old former school...

Priya Mehta, a 42-year-old former school teacher and mother of two, had her life upended by Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Diagnosed three years ago, she watched her world shrink from leading classroom activities to struggling to walk from her bedroom to the kitchen without gasping for air. Her oxygen tank became a constant companion, and the simplest tasks, like reading to her children, left her exhausted. Her pulmonologist, Dr. Sharma, delivered the difficult news that her lung function had declined to a critical point; medications were no longer sufficient. He recommended a lung transplant as her only chance for survival and a return to a meaningful life. The wait on the transplant list was an agonizing 14-month rollercoaster of hope and despair. When the call finally came, Priya felt a profound mix of terror, guilt for another family's loss, and desperate hope. The surgery was complex but successful. Her recovery in the ICU was grueling, filled with pain, breathing exercises, and the fear of rejection. A year later, Priya is breathing freely on her own. She can play in the park with her kids and has returned to part-time tutoring. Emotionally, she carries a permanent, solemn gratitude for her donor and their family, which she honors by living fully. Her journey transformed her from a breathless spectator of her own life back into an active participant, filled with a deep, hard-won appreciation for every single breath.