For the first time, a rare cross-border kidney swap transplant was performed to save the lives of two mothers in Mumbai, India’s financial capital. Two sons, one from Tanzania and the other from India, exchanged kidneys in Mumbai to save each other’s mothers. Doctors dubbed this case “the rarest of the rare.” Francisca Zacharia, 58, of Tanzania, traveled to Gujarat’s Ahmedabad city in September 2023 to seek treatment for stage five chronic kidney disease. Doctors informed them that a transplant was required after all necessary tests.
Her 32-year-old son traveled to Mumbai in search of a cure and sought a second opinion from one of the city’s largest private hospitals. The results of the tests revealed that he and his sick mother were incompatible for the transplant due to blood group differences. Following numerous discussions, concerned doctors advised them to seek a kidney swap. They found a compatible match in Mumbai’s Chembur neighborhood within a few days.
In both cases, they had earlier struggled and faced difficulties in finding a suitable match for the kidney transplant
This news, on the other hand, was a blessing for the second patient, 57-year-old Sheela Chainani, who also had stage five chronic kidney disease. She’d been having dialysis for two years. “In both cases, they had earlier struggled and faced difficulties in finding a suitable match for the kidney transplant. The procedures were successful and everyone is recovering slowly,” said one of the concerned doctors. Both hospitals began an extensive documentation and interview process after obtaining the patient’s consent and confirming compatibility.
Finally, Francisca’s kidney transplant was performed at Nanavati Hospital on December 4th, with Sheela’s son as her donor. Sheela had surgery at Sushrut Hospital at the same time, with Francisca’s son as her donor. This has created a special bond between the four of them, which they say they will cherish for the rest of their lives.
