Hanish Mahendru was diagnosed with damaged kidneys at the age of 47. His doctor informed him that he had two ways of going about it – either he leads his life on dialysis, or gets a kidney transplant.

He was also told that he had a higher chance of finding a match for transplant within his family.

However, when he turned to his mother and siblings, he found himself “boycotted” by them. At a time when he most needed love, care and support from his family members, they cut off ties with him. Soon after, he found himself grappling with depression. The 49-year-old had lost all hope to survive, and the will to live.

The only person who stuck by him through this ordeal was his wife Neeru Mahendru. The moment she learned of his condition, she made up her mind to donate her kidney to him. Luckily for the couple, she turned out to be a perfect match. After a year of Hanish’s dialysis, his wife donated her kidney to him. Her priority was his best health.

Between tears, Hanish spoke of his experience. Not only did his family not consider donating organs, they didn’t even visit him in the hospital. They also tried to take over his property and business.

While he needed to be on dialysis for 4-5 months to be fit enough for a transplant, it was a year before he finally received the kidney. His weight had dropped from 103 to 63 kgs, and he needed to be nursed back to health to be able to accept a new organ.

The transplant was a success.

Had Neeru not been a match, Hanish would’ve found himself in a waiting list with approximately 2,20,000 more people against which around 15,000 receive a kidney annually. Instead, he has received a new lease of life.

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All You Need To Know About Organ Donation