Abdul Wahid of Kandy, Sri Lanka, was advised a liver transplant following an organ failure. Though several of his relatives offered to donate, the hospital identified his 42-year-old younger sister Rifka as a suitable donor.

“In a living donor liver transplant, the donor is usually the partner or parent,” said K. Elankumaran, head of Liver Diseases and Transplant Centre at the hospital. A biopsy post-transplant revealed significant presence of cancer, the doctor explained.

“Every year, World Liver Day is observed on April 19, where we aim to spread awareness on liver diseases and care, and we are pleased to share this success story today,” Dr. Elankumaran said. The hospital partially funded the surgery.

The hospital’s co-founder and executive director, Aravindan Selvaraj, said: “Considering the current economic crisis in Sri Lanka, this surgery was an additional burden to the family. Though the transplant was performed for a liver failure, with the expertise and right skills, we were able to detect a tumour, which was later found to be cancerous. We extend our support beyond treatments and will continue to do so, thus helping people lead a better life.”

The donor Ms. Rifka was discharged after five days and Mr. Abdul after eight. Both have recovered without any complications, hospital officials said.