Odisha woman donates piece of liver to sister-in-law in ‘rare act of selflessness’ 

PUBLISHED: 10 Feb 2025, 10:05 PM IST
LAST UPDATE: 10 Feb 2025, 10:08 PM IST

In a world that is often self-centred, where even blood relations sometimes falter, a small place named Jujumura in Sambalpur has witnessed a rare act of selflessness. 

Pratima Pradhan, a devoted housewife, gifted a piece of herself, quite literally, to save her sister-in-law’s life.

It all began in 2020 when Umakanti, the younger daughter-in-law of the Pradhan family, underwent gallbladder surgery. 

A doctor’s mistake, however, turned her life upside down. A severed bile duct led to a series of complications, eventually causing her liver to fail. 

With jaundice tightening its grip and all medical solutions exhausted, a liver transplant was the only hope. But hope came with its own hurdles, no family member’s liver matched.

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That’s when Pratima stepped forward. Without a second thought, the elder daughter-in-law of the family, a woman with no biological connection to Uma, volunteered to donate a part of her liver. Her only concern? Ensuring that Uma’s little son wouldn’t have to endure the same pain of losing a mother that she once had.

“Since my mother-in-law has passed away, I’ve stepped into the role of one of the eldest in the house. In a selfless act to save my sister-in-law’s life, I willingly donated a portion of my liver,” said Pratima adding “Together, we will navigate this journey with our shared liver”.

Four days ago, in a private hospital in Hyderabad, a part of Pratima’s liver was transplanted into Uma. 

Mahadev Pradhan, Umakanti’s husband said, “Uma and I have a small child, and our sister-in-law expressed her understanding of the pain of losing a mother. She has offered to donate her liver to save my wife’s life.”

As Pratima now recovers, Uma is still in the ICU. But one thing is sure—this is not just an organ donation story; it is a tale of love, sacrifice, and the unbreakable strength of family bonds.

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