Woman Gets A Rare Hand Transplant, Then A Strange Twist Stuns Doctors
When Shreya Siddanagowda lost her hands after a catastrophic accident, her future looked grim. Some injuries can feel like they’re irreversible — especially when amputation is involved. But after an incredibly complex and difficult hand transplant surgery, this lucky young Indian woman's recovery left doctors scratching their heads.
Survived at a Cost
In 2016, on her way to college near Mangalore, India, 19-year-old Shreya Siddanagowda got into a severe bus crash. She managed to make it out alive, but her life came at a cost.
Armless
Shreya managed to pull herself out of the wreckage. She crawled to safety, but onlookers soon realized something was missing — it was her hands, which had been blown off amidst the crash. With such a gruesome injury, some wondered how she would go on.
Above the Elbow
After the crash, Shreya lost the limbs she used most. She was rushed to the hospital and told that she would undergo amputation just above the elbow! The teenager nearly panicked, but knew she had no choice.
Four Months Later
Luckily, Shreya had prosthetic limbs installed four months later. They were meant to emulate having real arms, and Shreya wasn’t happy about it. From there, the doctors laid out an alternative path, though it would prove far riskier.
Arms Search
Shreya could upgrade back to having real arms, which would require a human donation. She would have to wait at first, but something was about to give! What was a tragedy for one family became a blessing for another.
Brain-Dead
In another part of the country, a 20-year-old student named Sachin was declared brain-dead after suffering a bad head injury in a motorcycle accident in 2017. Of course, doctors noted that much of his body remained perfectly intact.
Organ Donor
The 20-year-old wasn't going to make it. Once Sachin’s parents heard of Shreya’s condition, and after considering that their son would never have use for them, they agreed to donate his arms to her.
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Difficult Procedure
Now that Shreya had replacement limbs in store, the next step for her medical team was figuring out how to put them on her body. She wasn’t alone, but her doctors weren’t exactly confident either. Double hand transplants were extremely rare, and no surgeon had ever attempted one between a man and a woman before.
20 Surgeons
But to get her life back, Shreya was willing to accept the risks. The procedure happened at The Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences. It was led by a senior plastic surgeon called Dr. Subramania Iyer, but he wasn’t sure of the result.
13 Hours
In addition to the 20 surgeons, 16 anesthetists took part in Shreya’s surgery. And after 13 hours of hard, strategic work, the operation was finally over. But only careful monitoring and intensive physical therapy would show whether or not it was a success.
Doctor's Orders
According to Dr. Subramania, “Upper arm transplants are much more challenging than those at the wrist or forearm level due to the complexity in accurately identifying and connecting various nerves, muscles, tendons and arteries.” That wasn't all.
Rehab Challenges
Even afterward, “rehabilitation is also much more difficult because the patient bears the weight of the transplanted hands at the upper arm,” said Dr. Subramania. “In Shreya's case, both transplants were done at the middle of the upper arm.”
One of Nine
This procedure would inevitably change Shreya’s life, but it wasn’t always certain that it would be successful. In fact, it was only one of nine ever attempted in India! With a bright outlook, the student kept track of every small stride.
Baby Steps
As far as the recovery goes, doctors have said it will happen in parts. First, Shreya will start moving her fingers, then move up to her wrists, shoulders and elbows. A hopeful estimate from one of Shreya’s doctors alleges an 85% recovery of hand function in the next one-and-a-half years.
85 Percent
She might even exceed it! Granted, Shreya did have some reservations about her new arms at first. Because they came from such a different person, the limbs looked a bit strange attached to her body.
Before and After
The hands and forearms were a darker color than Shreya's natural skin tone, plus they were bulkier than her build. Still, the fact that the transplant worked was a medical miracle. The student tried not to focus on the details, though she couldn't ignore a startling change.
Chameleon Skin
All on their own, Shreya’s arms have begun to change color to match her skin tone. On top of that, they’re getting more slender by themselves! With every passing day, Shreya began to feel more like her old self. Her loved ones could hardly believe the transformation.
Nobody Knows
"The donor was a tall man with big spindly fingers," said Ms. Siddanagowda's mother, Suma. "Now nobody can make out that they are a man's hands... She has even started wearing jewelery and nail varnish."
Writing Again
Shreya’s future isn’t fully clear, but she has a few case studies to look toward for hope. The first child who underwent a similar procedure is now writing, feeding and dressing himself! And before long, Shreya shared a big achievement of her own.
Moments to Live For
“The best moment was when she sent me a handwritten note on my birthday. I could not have asked for a better birthday gift,” said Dr. Iyer. Shreya thanked her donor's family too and stressed the importance of this selfless act. She's not alone in proving how organ donation can turn lives around for everyone involved.
Medical Miracle
She pointed to a medical miracle that unfolded on the other side of the world. When Robert O'Connor was taken to Boston's Tufts Medical Center after his cardiomyopathy became deadly, he didn't know if he was going to live. His heart struggled to pump blood throughout his body. He needed a miracle.
Airlifted
Still, Robert was shocked when he wound up in the hospital, as he'd managed his cardiomyopathy for over 10 years with medication. Nevertheless, he ended up getting emergency airlifted from Springfield's Baystate Medical Center to the Boston hospital.
Needing a Heart
“It was basically, [I was there until] I get a heart… if I get a heart,” Robert relayed to WWLP. He was terrified. He lay in the hospital, unsure if he was just counting down the days until he passed away. But then, he received some news.
Taken Too Soon
It seemed 16-year-old Dakota Reid had died in a horrific car crash in January of 2019. He was sitting in the passenger seat when the driver impulsively pulled out in front of an SUV. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
His Son's Legacy
John Reid, Daokata's father, decided to donate his son's organs, though he didn't know who said organs would go to. John ultimately wanted to give the gift of life and "continue God's plan" through organ donation, which would make sense of his son's untimely death.
Life-Saving Transplant
The heart, of course, went to Robert, who was astonished over the fact that he'd be receiving the teen's heart. “I got the heart, I got my life back!” Robert exclaimed. After a successful surgery, Robert's daughter tracked the Reids down and reached out; it was the right thing to do.
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Thanking the Reids
Though the healthy Robert couldn't be happier, he kept thinking about the Reids, as he wanted them to still feel a connection to their late son and his ever beating heart, but how?
More Than a Gift
Though Robert and the Reids were in contact and planned on meeting at some point, he wanted to give them something significant, as their son gifted him with something he could never return.
Eventual Meeting
“We talked about meeting. Someday in the future, we will meet so they could hear their heart, and I said, hopefully, this will help until we meet," he said of the sweet gift...
Build-A-Bear Visit
So, Robert and his new heart took a trip to Build-A-Bear Workshop. Though you may be perplexed as to how a stuff-it-yourself Teddy bear could be meaningful in a sensitive situation such as this one, Robert's imagination and gratitude were powerful forces.
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