From heartbreak to hope: Karachi doctor donates son's kidneys, gives others a second chance

KARACHI (Web Desk) – In an extraordinary act of courage and compassion, a renowned Karachi nephrologist turned her personal tragedy into a source of hope by donating the kidneys of her 23-year-old son, who was declared brain dead following a tragic car accident.

Her selfless decision saved the lives of two patients waiting for transplants.

The young donor, Syed Sultan Zafar, was a final-year dental student at Ziauddin Medical and Dental College and the only son of Dr Mahar Afroze, Consultant Nephrologist and Associate Professor at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT).

Sultan came from a family with a strong medical legacy — he was the grandson of esteemed healthcare professionals Professor Tipu Sultan and Professor Dr Shershah Syed. His father, Syed Furqan Zafar, had passed away from liver cancer a few years ago and is buried in Kohi Goth, where the family also runs a charitable hospital. Sultan has now been laid to rest beside his father.

Recalling the heartbreaking sequence of events, Professor Tipu shared that Sultan met with a severe road accident last Wednesday while driving with friends in a private housing society. He was brought to the hospital with critical head injuries and underwent emergency surgery to remove brain clots.

Despite showing brief signs of improvement, Sultan's condition worsened. By Tuesday afternoon, he had lost all brain reflexes and was pronounced brain dead. Devastated but determined to give meaning to her son’s untimely death, Dr Afroze made the heart-wrenching decision to donate his organs.

“She is a doctor who witnesses patients dying due to lack of organ donors. She wanted her son’s death to bring life to others,” Prof Tipu said with emotion.

Late Tuesday night, Dr Afroze personally transported her son’s body to SIUT for organ retrieval. The kidneys were successfully transplanted into two patients who had been on dialysis for years. Unfortunately, other organs couldn’t be used as there were no immediate matches.

Prof Shershah Syed paid heartfelt tribute to Dr Afroze, calling her “a brave mother, a noble doctor, and a true humanitarian.” SIUT also praised her decision, highlighting how her donation in a moment of intense sorrow became a shining example for others.