A transplant was not Mirazuddin’s go-to option but it soon became clear that he could not survive any longer with his own heart. “My condition got worse, I had to spend weeks in hospital” says Mirazuddin, a heart recipient.

The doctors had told him that only a heart transplant would free him from his ailment but like no latest news, Mirazuddin and his wife, Rubina, knew that heart donations were not easy to come. With only 20% of his heart functioning, the days of anxiety and anticipation began for the couple.

“The doctors told us there was no certainty of finding a donor” says Rubina. “It could take 2 years or 6-8 months for us” she says. However, for Mirazuddin and his wife, the wait felt futile as they had begun losing hope with every passing week.

Fortunately for Mirazuddin, when the opportunity finally showed itself, he and his wife responded to it immediately. “The man was 30 years old but his family was initially hesitant” Rubina recounts how the events of the transplant day unfolded.

The initial hesitance transformed into a sworn word and action and the deceased’s family agreed to donate his heart and kidneys. Mirazuddin received the heart he had lost hope for and the kidneys went on to save other lives.

By the law, there is an anonymity clause where the recipient’s family is not provided with the donor family’s contact details.

“We wish we could meet the donor’s family and thank them for bringing back the happiness in our lives” Rubina says. “We owe it to them.” Even though, they couldn’t physically thank their donor, the couple like many other organ recipients wishes more people would come ahead and pledge to become organ donors.