Sister gifts kidney to brother on Rakhi Day

A woman in Raipur has given a new meaning to Raksha Bandhan celebrations by donating a kidney to her ailing brother.

A woman in Raipur has given a new meaning to Raksha Bandhan celebrations by donating a kidney to her ailing brother.

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Anumita was next to her brother Asim Kumar Sinha, who was lying in bed no 5 at the trauma unit of the Modern Medical Institute (MMI) in the Chhattisgarh capital on Tuesday, the day the nation celebrated the festival of brother-sister ties.

"Asim is the lone brother of four sisters. All of us wanted to gift a kidney to the brother ahead of the festival of Raksha Bandhan. Luckily, the doctors picked me up as I had better health among all the four sisters," said Anumita, 36.

She did not just tie a rakhi on Asim's wrist but gave fresh life to the lone breadwinner of the five-member family, which comes from Kunkuri village of Jashpur district, an extremely backward area in the state.

The doctors at MMI successfully transplanted on Sunday one of the kidneys donated by Anumita to his brother, saving him from certain death as both his kidneys had stopped functioning.

"Asim is progressing well after Sunday's kidney transplantation and his sister too is recovering fast but they have been kept under medical observation at the hospital," SA Kale, a senior nephrologist at MMI, told IANS on Tuesday.

"It's too early to say whether the transplantation is successful or not but Asim was struggling for life as both his kidneys were not functioning for several months," the doctor stated.

Asim's wife Shankari Sinha told reporters at the hospital: "She (Anumita) has set an example for millions of people who celebrate Raksha Bandhan as a formality or just as a festival."

"Anumita has not only saved the life of his brother but also saved the entire family as Asim, who works as a clerk in a government department, is the lone breadwinner for the family including his elderly parents."