10-year-old gets Rs 20 lakh for heart surgery through crowdfunding, dreams to become IPS officer

Saniya was suffering from heart enlargement, which led to health complications. She required immediate heart transplant of the same size for her survival.

On Monday night, a 10-year-old daughter of a painter successfully underwent a heart transplant surgery at Mulund's Fortis Hospital. DNA had first reported about the father, who was crowdfunding the cost of treatment in south Mumbai. The 32-year-old painter was helpless after learning about the cost of treatment, which was around Rs 20 lakh and was also struggling to look for a heart that would come from someone his daughter's age, as per the treatment required.

On September 19 last year, DNA's report, 'Painter seeks funds to save daughter's life' had gathered attention from donors and NGOs who helped the painter, Sarfaraz Khan collect the required funds. But his ordeal did not end there. His daughter needed the heart which belonged to someone almost the same age. A spokesperson from Fortis Hospital said, "An eight-year-old girl suffering from aneurysm stroke was admitted to Lilavati Hospital for treatment but was declared brain dead. Her heart was then donated to Khan's daughter for her transplant surgery.

Saniya, Sarfaraz's daughter, was suffering from heart enlargement, which led to health complications. She required immediate heart transplant of the same size for her survival. Khan, with a placard in hand that read, 'Please help me save my daughter. She needs a heart to become an IPS officer', roamed around the streets of Gateway of India, Marine Drive and Mantralaya to collect funds.

"Many people came forward to help me including NGOs, few donated in my bank account while many sent me cheques in the name of Fortis Hospital. We managed to collect Rs 20 "lakh for the treatment but we were not getting the heart for the transplant. On Monday morning we got the call from the hospital and the surgery was completed," said Sarfaraz Khan. "Now I will be able to fulfill my daughter's dreams to become an IPS officer. I am thankful to DNA for bringing the matter to light and helping me save my daughter's life.", said Khan.