Kidney ailment: Helping hand beyond student politics

22-yr old suffering from kidney ailment receives help from Student’s Federation of India

Friendship and humanity are beyond politics. A group of student politicians in Kerala has proved this.

An activist of Kerala Students Union, a Congress student wing, who is suffering from kidney ailment is receiving a helping hand both in terms of cash and by offering organs, from the Student's Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of CPM.

Twenty-two-year old Muhammed Rafi is a native of Kayamkulam in Alappuzha district. Hailing from a weak financial background with his mother being the only breadwinner, by working as a maid at nearby houses. Rafi, who studied at an Industrial Training Institute, was a KSU activist. He was diagnosed with kidney issues about a year ago, and has been undergoing treatment for the last one year.

"It required Rs 7,000 per week for dialysis, medicines and other medical expenses, which my mother could not afford. A local unit of KSU already initiated a fund mobilising drive and could pool over Rs 3 lakh. But now the doctors have suggested kidney transplantation as the creatinine level is shooting up rapidly," said Muhammed Rafi.

His friends in the SFI initiated the fund mobilisation drive. The SFI area committee of Karunagapally, as well as the Idukki district committee, took on the drive through the social media. The SFI's drive even has Muhammed Rafi’s picture with KSU's headband.

Muhammed said that a former SFI activist Shanavaz Khan and a Youth Congress worker have already offered to donate a kidney. But a final decision will be taken after the medical screenings and other organ transplant procedures involved.

"Politics never came in the way of humanitarian activities we initiate. Hence we did not mind sharing Muhammed Rafi's picture with the headband of another party. We are indeed happy that he is now getting considerable help," said SFI state committee member Krishnendu K V.