Mumbai: Young Engineer Who Lost Both Hands In 2016 Train Accident, Receives New Hands From 69-Year-Old Donor

Marking a fresh start with the new year, a 26-year-old engineer, who had lost booth his hands in a devastating train accident, achieved his dreams of a new pair of hands. The train accident had resulted in amputation of both the glands of the family’s sole breadwinner. 

In 2016, at just 18 years of age, Hritik Singh Parihar’s life took a tragic turn during a train journey from Indore to Mumbai. While switching trains at Chinchwad station, Pune, he was accidentally pushed and fell between two trains. The accident resulted in the amputation of both arms at the shoulder level, leaving him grappling with immense physical, emotional, and financial challenges as the sole breadwinner for his aging parents.

Despite his limitations, Hritik displayed incredible determination, completing his education and securing a job as an engineer. As the sole breadwinner for his aging parents, he adapted to  life by mastering the use of his feet for daily tasks, including operating a laptop and mobile phone. Using his feet to do daily chores, he continued to support his family. However, he longed for a normal life and the ability to embrace everyday tasks.

Hritik consulted Dr Nilesh Satbhai, Head of the department of plastic, hand, reconstructive microsurgery and transplantation at Gleneagles Hospital, Parel, who operated on him to give him a new lease of life with the 13th successful hand transplant at the hospital, making a total of 24 hands transplanted till date. 

Hritik’s case was particularly challenging due to the near-shoulder amputation level, a rarity in hand transplant procedures. The donor hands were retrieved from a 69-year-old individual in Indore and the surgery was meticulously carried out over 15 hours.

Dr Satbhai said, "Hritik’s case was both unique and challenging due to the high level of amputation. However, with the support of a skilled multidisciplinary team, we were able to repair the blood vessels, nerves, and bones with precision, giving Hritik a chance to regain a functional, independent life. Hand transplants at this level are incredibly rare, with only a few cases performed worldwide, making this a significant milestone. He is expected to regain reasonable movement hand functions within 9-12 months.

Hritik said “I didn’t want to give up. I had dreamt of living a normal, happy life for so many years. I feel like I’ve been given a second chance. I feel like I can dream again, work toward my goals, and support my family the way I always wanted to. Words cannot fully express my heartfelt gratitude to the doctors who made this possible. They have given me the chance to embrace life once more, and I will forever be thankful."