A silver medal for Karhun Nanda, a bronze for Digvijay Singh Gujral. Battling life-threatening odds, the two athletes are living proof that an organ transplant isn't a barrier to a healthy life or winning medals for your county. All it takes is grit, determination, faith, and a little bit of luck
The strap has been updated with the medal wins. The rest of the story, published on April 12, 2023, remains unchanged
On December 5, 2015, Karhun Nanda’s life took a dramatic turn. Forty-two years old at the time, Nanda, a state-level football player who lives in Delhi, had just returned home from a three-hour game of football when he felt an intense pain in the abdomen. “I initially thought it was a case of bad acid reflux. But soon the pain became so bad that I couldn’t get up,” he says.
Nanda says he suffered eight heart attacks on the way to hospital and even “flatlined” for a few minutes; fortunately doctors were able to revive him. He was diagnosed with a blood clot in his aorta, leading to a condition called ventricular tachycardia. A stent was put into his aorta to treat it.
On December 5, 2015, Karhun Nanda’s life took a dramatic turn. Forty-two years old at the time, Nanda, a state-level football player who lives in Delhi, had just returned home from a three-hour game of football when he felt an intense pain in the abdomen. “I initially thought it was a case of bad acid reflux. But soon the pain became so bad that I couldn’t get up,” he says.
Nanda says he suffered eight heart attacks on the way to hospital and even “flatlined” for a few minutes; fortunately doctors were able to revive him. He was diagnosed with a blood clot in his aorta, leading to a condition called ventricular tachycardia. A stent was put into his aorta to treat it.