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ACTIVIST businessman Datuk Vinod Sekhar has vowed to do better and more for society after being given a second lease of life.
It was only after the seventh attempt at the Apollo Hospital in Chennai, India, that the tycoon was matched with a heart from a tourist car driver who had died in an accident.
Vinod said he had become stricken while on the flight from Chennai to Kuala Lumpur in January last year, leading to an immediate admission to the intensive care unit, where he was informed by cardiologists that he needed a heart transplant. He was put on a waitlist for an organ donor under Indian laws.
The flight was forced to return to Chennai while en route to Malaysia. He had already been suffering from heart issues earlier.
His heart was found to be operating at an ejection fraction (EF) of 18-20%.
Over the next nine months of last year, there were six failed attempts to implant a new heart, as Vinod had a strong immune system that made it extra difficult to find a matching donor.
Just before the seventh try, his heart’s EF had fallen to 10% functionality. He was literally at the end stage.
Now, with the support and prayers of his family and friends, the EF of his new heart is beating strongly at 76%, a medical miracle.
While still in a critical state – the heart needs time to be accepted and healed by the body – Vinod returned to Malaysia to resume leadership of his flagship Petra Group.
The Petra Group owns Petra News Sdn Bhd, which runs three news portals: themalaysianinsight.com, thevibes.com, and getaran.my.
Vinod was away for nearly 18 months.
The transplant team was led by a couple of India’s top talents and the world’s leading heart and lung transplant surgeons – Drs Paul Ramesh Thangaraj and Madhan Kumar, who have been Vinod's personal physicians since he discovered his heart was weak.
The procedure took about 10 hours.
Vinod, in social media posts and conversations with family, friends, and staffers, shared that he was doing well beyond all expectations.
"The pain related to the surgery has diminished significantly. However, walking up and down stairs causes severe pain, but even that is much better than it was seven days ago. I’m improving by the day. Still on heavy doses of medicine (steroids, immunosuppressants, etc.), which is not pleasant, but they will reduce it in the months to come.
"We did the seventh biopsy in Chennai. The possible scoring results range from 0, 1A, 1B, 2A to 3B. For a transplant, apparently, up to 1A and 1B is good. In my case, it has been 0 (no rejection at all). Seven biopsies in a row.
“There’s really no explaining it other than that someone else is clearing the path for me. And all of you have my promise I won’t be sitting on my laurels. I’ll use the cleared road for whatever it is I’m expected to do.
“But it’s not just the successful results I’ve had that I feel blessed about. It’s also about the man that died suddenly and gave me a chance to live,” he said.
Vinod said he managed to get access to his donor's background.
Vinod's hero was a single parent of four children (aged 9-16), three girls and a boy. He had worked as a tourist car driver and by all accounts was a good father who worked many extra hours to take care of his family.
"A good man with a kind heart is what I was told," said Vinod.
The man's wife died nine years ago.
"His death has ensured I lived. And that’s something I find very hard to come to terms with.
“When we asked about the children, we were told that as no relative had the income to take care of them, they would likely be split and the younger ones placed in government group homes.
“Their aunt wanted to take them in, but it was impossible for her financially."
Vinod's wife, Winy Yeap, and he decided to establish a private trust that would provide sufficient funds for the aunt to take care of the four of them so the family will not be split up.
"The fund is until they can graduate. I know it’s not nearly enough for what has been taken away from the children. But they will know their father’s heart is still here taking care of them.
“Their only request was for a photograph of me and to meet me when I’m ready. They wanted the picture so they know where a part of their father is. And who he saved."
"I dare not and certainly cannot waste this second lease of life," Vinod said. – July 14, 2024.