Ik Jumani
Liver Recipient
“To my donor hero, you’ve made the biggest difference in my life. I’m taking care of myself and this liver, the greatest gift someone could ever give me, the gift of life. I’m immensely grateful. I could never express the gratitude I have,” shared liver recipient Ik.
“In October of 2019, I had an infection. My doctor prescribed me a Z-Pack. As a pharmacist, I was aware of the side effects, but I followed my doctor’s prescription. One day, not long after, I was in the shower, and I looked down to see the floor covered in blood. I yelled for my husband, and we rushed to the ER. I found out I was going through hepatorenal failure.
My labs showed elevated enzymes, indicating organ failure. I battled cancer in 2013, which caused cirrhosis of the liver, so the tissue was breaking down, and my liver wasn’t filtering. I started the process of getting on the organ transplant waiting list. From there, gallbladder issues, fluid retention and abdominal pain had me in and out of the hospital. I was added to the waitlist in March of 2022. I received five calls for livers that were not meant for me. On one call, I even went down to the OR and scrubbed in, but it was not the right time.
The 6th time was the charm, and my nerves immediately kicked in. I knew my donor’s family was saying goodbye to their loved one as I was preparing to receive a second chance at life. I hoped they would be at peace with the selfless gift they were giving me.
After my transplant, I went home and was happy, but I wasn’t recovering the way I needed to be. My appetite was gone, and I didn’t have the energy even to walk. I looked in the mirror and saw a skeleton. I went back to the hospital and advocated for myself that more tests be done because something was wrong. My doctors told me that the stent inserted after my transplant had migrated to my pancreas, piercing it and backing it up with enzymes. Thankfully, my medical team corrected the issue, and I recovered afterward. Everyone’s transplant journey is different. To my donor, I am deeply thankful. You not only changed my life, but you saved it. Thank you.”
