Kerela: Priest at St Mary's Jacobite Church donates kidney to Muslim women

The 39-year-old priest, Fr Shibu Kuttiparichel, a priest at St Mary's Jacobite Church Cheengeri in Wayanad has donated his kidney to Kairunnissa, who lives with her bedridden husband and three-year-old daughter.

The kidney was harvested and transplanted in Kairunnissa at VPS Lakeshore hospital on Wednesday.

Fr Shibu Yohannan was inspired by the story of Davis Chiramel, the first priest in Kerala to donate a kidney to a stranger five years ago.

Fr Shibu Kuttiparichel has also penned several books and uses money earned from the sale of his works for the treatment of cancer patients.

He is also the founder and chairman of Kidney Federation of India. Fr Shibu first collected Rs 5 lakh and handed it over to the family of Kairunnissa for her treatment. Although Kairunnissa’s 56-year-old mother Shereefa, was ready to donate one of her kidneys to her daughter but it was found incompatible.

After which blood test was conducted and Fr Shibu’s blood group matched to that of Kairunnissa and he decided to donate his kidney. Both the donor and recipient are in good condition, said hospital authorities. Fr Shibu, who has been shifted to ICU, will be discharged after four days.

Meanwhile, Kairunnissa, who also has been shifted to ICU, will remain there for five days and will be discharged after one week following a medical examination, hospital sources added.

The harvesting and transplanting of the kidney was done under a medical team which included Dr Abi Abraham M, director, Nephrology and Transplant Services; Dr George P Abraham, transplant surgeon; and Dr Mohan A Mathew, director of Anaesthesiology