To save the life of 17-year-old son Arman, who is suffering from acute liver failure, mother Renu donated part of her liver. The successful transplant gave a new life to both mother and son and they are now recovering.
There are moments in the hospital corridors that change lives forever. It’s not just being diagnosed or undergoing surgery, but that moment when someone looks the doctor in the eye and says, “Do my test. I want to give him part of my liver.”
37 year old Renu Khanna was about to say this. The life of his 17 year old son Arman was in danger due to sudden acute liver failure. Till one day he was a normal school-going boy, planning his future. But the very next day, doctors warned that he probably only had a day or two left. Renu did not hesitate even for a moment.
As Armaan’s condition rapidly deteriorated, his mother sat by his side at Apollo Hospital in Navi Mumbai. Having acute liver failure at the age of 17 is a major shock in itself, but in India — where cadaver donation is still rare — life often depends on finding a living donor in time.
Armaan’s liver had almost completely stopped functioning. Toxic substances were accumulating in the body and essential proteins had stopped being produced. When healthy liver cells deteriorate and turn into cirrhosis, even medicines do not work. In such a situation, transplant is the only hope left. Renu came forward to investigate.
Within just 24 hours, doctors declared him fit for donation after evaluating his blood group, liver size, his overall health and mental preparedness. The transplant team, led by Dr. Guruprasad Shetty, worked quickly, knowing that every passing hour was precious.
Doctors removed Armaan’s damaged liver and replaced it with a part of his mother’s liver. After this, the miracle of liver for which it is known – regeneration happened. Over the coming months, the livers of both mother and son would grow back to almost their normal size and function, giving both of them a second chance at life. A mother decides to risk her life to save her son.
Renu told TOI Health, “When it came to saving my son’s life, I didn’t think even a moment. He is my life. I took courage from the fact that we were in good hands. Dr. Guruprasad Shetty and the entire liver transplant team at Apollo Hospital, Navi Mumbai left no stone unturned to save my son. It is because of them that my son is alive today, and that means everything to me.”
Renu admits she was scared — and her honesty makes her courage even greater. She said, “I will not say that I was not scared. I was scared. But the doctors here explained me very well about every step.”
Inside the operation theatre, the doctors were burdened with two lives — one of the teenager who was fighting for his life and the other of the mother who had come to save him. The surgery was successful.
Today, Armaan is slowly returning to the life every 17-year-old deserves — focusing on his studies, his dreams and the future that once seemed slipping away. Renu also gradually recovered, her body regenerated the part she had donated.
But beyond all this, there is a deep peace that gives a mother the feeling that she did everything she could to save her child.
There is only one truth at the center of this emotional story. A boy was running out of time. His mother had what he needed. And mother gave it to him without thinking.
And for Renu Khanna, “This is everything.”