Women’s Day: Wife’s gift of liver becomes Chandigarh couple’s crusade for organ donation.

Chandigarh: For Roopa Arora, a senior Hindi teacher in Sector 38-B, the concept of "giving" extends far beyond the classroom. Fifteen years ago, she donated 65% of her liver to save her husband's life; today, she is using that survival story to lead a crusade for organ donation awareness across North India.Arora and her husband, Parveen Kumar Rattan, have transitioned from transplant patients to public advocates, proving that life after major surgery isn't just possible — it can be extraordinary.
A Leap of Faith in 2011The couple's journey began when Rattan, an official with the Chandigarh Administration's engineering department, was diagnosed with cryptogenic liver disease. As his health failed, the only option was a transplant. Arora, then a mother to an eight-year-old daughter, did not hesitate to become a living donor. During a grueling 16-hour surgery, doctors transplanted the right lobe of her liver into her husband. "I just had to save his life," Arora recalls. "I had full faith in science and in God."From Recovery to the World StageThe success of the 2011 procedure was followed by milestones that many transplant patients fear are impossible. In 2014, three years after the transplant, the couple welcomed a son — a miracle that Arora says provides immense hope to other transplant recipients worried about long-term health and fertility. In 2019, the pair represented India at the World Transplant Games in the United Kingdom, competing in cycling and athletics to demonstrate their full physical recovery.The Mission and ImpactArora, who holds a master's in social work and counselling alongside her teaching credentials, now spends her spare time visiting schools and hospitals. The couple offers hours of free counselling to families paralysed by the fear of living donation. Direct counselling is helping families navigate the emotional and psychological hurdles of organ donation over several days of meetings. The couple features on Doordarshan Jalandhar and writes in health magazines to destigmatise the procedure.They also deliver health awareness lectures in govt schools and colleges. "People often ask if life can return to normal after a transplant," Arora says. "Our story shows that it can. If our experience helps even one family make the decision to save a life, it is worth it."Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Women's day wishes, messages and quotes !