She has a heart that beats and runs for her country’s glory but at the same time, she helps her fellow beings in bringing awareness about organ transplant-related issues in India.
Reena Raju has survived a heart transplant not once but twice. But this has not deterred her from taking part in events which normally others would not dare. She runs, skydives, parasails and loves to take part in anything that involves a challenge.
She took part as the first Indian transplant athlete in the World Transplant Games in 2017 and is now in Newcastle, UK as a Team Manager, leading a team of 17 transplant athletes to take part in this event for persons who have undergone various kinds of transplantation due to debilitating disorders or disease.
In fact, Reena has many firsts to her credit as she is the first Indian woman to have successfully undergone a heart transplant twice, apart from being the first transplant athlete to take part in the WTG from India.
At 38, Reena continues on her mission without a break of spreading awareness on organ donation through her Light a Life Reena Raju Foundation. Organising for Team India this year has been hectic for her as it is the first time an NGO has proactively taken steps to increase awareness and participation in the World Transplant Games from August 17-24.
Petite and charming, Reena says, “It has been my mission to encourage and involve more women athletes in Team India. This time, we have 2 living organ donors representing India. We hope women organ donors and recipients are inspired and get the support to participate in future Games.”
Reena holds two Limca Book Records and two National recognition awards by Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and National Organ and Tissue Transplant. An active sportsperson post-transplant she has done marathons; cyclothons, parasailed, completed an underwater sea walk and a 13,000 ft tandem skydive with her donor’s heart beating inside her.
A former track and field athlete and hockey player, Reena was diagnosed with end-stage heart failure in 2006. She had her first heart transplant in 2009 and became Karnataka’s 1st woman heart recipient. She had a second heart transplant in 2017 becoming the first surviving repeat heart transplant recipient in India.
She believes in leading life to the fullest and says it was tough the second time around when she was not sure if she would survive. Her heart had stopped functioning and she suffered a cardiac arrest.
However, the doctors found a perfect match for her. Thanking her doctor, world renowned cardiac surgeon K M Cherian and his team, she says, “It is a miracle that I have survived and I am living with a new heart twice. In fact, it has been like re-birth so many times...it is all because of the donors and their heart that beats in me today. It has been a challenge to overcome all infections and problems after the transplant but I have looked past it and participated in WTG, 2017.”
Seeing huge participation from other countries at the World Transplant Games, Reena decided to return to the Games with a larger Indian team in 2019. “The Indian Flag needs to fly high in every arena. There is absolutely no challenge that is very difficult for our country. Organ donation, organ transplantation, post-transplant care and especially transplant sports which are an emerging topic in India, needs a big boost.”
Unfortunately, she was appointed Team Manager only in November last year with registrations opening in December, so she did not get any support from concerned bodies. She was also diagnosed with endometriosis which prevented her from training to compete at the Games. “Thankfully I have a Foundation and got help to organize for team India.” India at the 2019 WTG,” she says with a smile.
Her first step as Team Manager was to reach out to interested NGOs, societies and bodies working on the cause seeking help to increase participation and help sponsor athletes. However, she did not receive any help. What came to her rescue was her own foundation, well-wishers who stepped up to organize, support and promote Team India at the 2019 WTG. However, athletes are spending from their own pockets to be in Newcastle for the games. Reena adds, “It’s unfortunate that athletes train and prepare from their own expenses. We are passionate to promote organ donation but transplant sports struggled to get sponsors. We had some dropping out and were able to retain them by using our contacts.”
Apart from sponsorship for her own participation, two promising athletes - Kishore Suryawanshi, a kidney recipient from Mumbai and Amar Nath, an avid sportsman who underwent a kidney transplant will debut in the 2019 Games.
We’ve taken the first crucial steps this year, but there is a long way to go, as there are many aspiring transplant athletes in our country. Organ Donation and Transplantation is picking pace in India. This is a good opportunity for us to collaboratively raise the awareness, preparation, sponsorship, and participation of athletes in the future 2021 Games.
The selfless cause of Organ Donation needs to be promoted not just in terms of awareness, but by harnessing/supporting inspiring transplant athletes to take the cause beyond any division. It is a great opportunity for the country to unite and make organ transplantation and transplant sports a common success factor in the nation.