Life is an Incredible Adventure

Kishor Suryavanshi

KIDNEY TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT WHO HAS DECIDED TO LEAD A FULL LIFE

Being a creative person, I have always loved to write, sing, play the guitar and compose songs. I have felt equally passionate about sports and adventure and in general, strongly believe in living life to the fullest.

In 2006, when I was studying to complete graduation, life took an unexpected turn as I was diagnosed with kidney failure. I had always led a healthy and ailment-free life and therefore it came as a huge shock to me and my family. I had to quit my MBA studies halfway as my health kept deteriorating.

Unable to bear the pain of watching her dauntless and spirited brother’s life getting derailed and spirits dampened, my beloved sister, Chhaya willed to donate her kidney in August 2007. The transplant took place in KEM Hospital (a Government hospital in Mumbai).

She gifted me a second chance at life and I decided that come what may, this new life had to become more meaningful to me, than before. I started pursuing writing and completed courses in mass communication, journalism, radio jockeying and script writing. Presently, I work for an ad agency as a creative writer.

As a living tribute to my sister, in 2012, I founded an NGO in her name, called ‘Chhaya Kidney Foundation’.

Around this time, I met someone incredibly special – Aarti, also a kidney recipient, who had received the gift of life from her mother. Both of us had been working closely on some campaigns for promoting organ donation and soon, the friendship turned into a fascinating, ‘Jab we Met’, kind of a love story. With the blessings of our families, we decided to get married, thereby becoming the First Kidney Transplant couple in the world. This record is held in the Limca Book of records.

I would like to call myself as an ardent fitness enthusiast and I make sure that my daily routines include playing badminton, exercises and running. Since 2012, every year, I have participated in the National Transplant Games and have won Gold, thrice. In 2019, I had the honour of representing India at World Transplant Games, 2019, at Newcastle, UK. In 2019, I challenged myself further by scaling the ‘Kalasubai Shikhar’, considered as Maharashtra’s Mount Everest.

I have entirely dedicated himself to promoting organ donation, including a few songs that were composed and sung by me, while playing the guitar. I have also written a few books including ‘SALAAM ZINDAGI’, about kidney recipients, ‘सैराट नावाचं वादळ’ (criticism of the Marathi movie ‘Sairaat’, which was published by the movie’s director). I am now writing a book on kidney recipients who have completed more than 20, 30 and 40 years of transplant.

I recently celebrated 13 years of kidney transplant in August 2020.