PATHANAMTHITTA: A village collective’s efforts and community support bore fruit as a 12-year-old girl from Elanthoor successfully underwent a life-saving liver transplant on Friday.
Born with a liver condition, Lakshmi Priya had been undergoing treatment for the past 12 years at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology. As her condition worsened, doctors advised that a liver transplant was the only option.
Her father Deepu is an auto rickshaw driver, while her mother suffers from asthma. The family struggled to raise the estimated `50 lakh required for the surgery and follow-up treatment.
At this critical time, the Elanthoor Janakeeya Samithi stepped in with support. Through a public fundraising initiative, the required amount was mobilised with the help of the community.
Lakshmi’s school, Pathanamthitta Mar Thoma Higher Secondary School, alone contributed around `33 lakh. Auto rickshaw drivers and private bus operators organised charity rides, while panchayat members, political parties, Kudumbashree units, and social workers actively participated in the effort.
The fundraising and coordination were led by samithi president M B Sathyan, general secretary Sam Chempakathil, treasurer P M Johnson, convenor Sam Mathew, along with former ward members Wilson Chirakkal, Saji Thekkumkara, and others.
The surgery was performed at a private hospital in Bengaluru, where she had been admitted for the past four months awaiting a suitable donor. Recently, a matching liver from a 20-year-old donor became available, paving the way for the procedure.
The surgery began at around 6am and lasted nearly eight hours. Doctors have confirmed that Lakshmi is currently stable and recovering well.