A man donates his kidney to his stepdaughter without a moment’s hesitation

The family is bound by love. Dilip said that Dipika is not a step daughter from his wife's first marriage. She is his daughter, enrolled with his name in the school. Blood does not determine familiar relations, love does.

By Surabhi Katyal

May 26, 2015

The prevalent culture has always equated the ‘step’ relation with antagonists. Be it Lord Rama’s stepmother Kaikeyi from Ramayana or the evil stepmothers of Snow White and Cinderella or any other instance from Indian Television and Cinema. And the thinking has been imbibed within the common stereotypes.

But the case of Dilip Jain, a 52-year old man who donated his kidney to his 28-year old ‘step’ daughter Dipika, will force you to rethink about these generalizations.

Photo for representational purpose only. Source: www.onlysimchas.com

Dilip Kumar runs a grocery business at Nandurbar in Maharashtra. He stepped forward for donating his kidney when his wife and Dipika’s biological mother’s offer was refused due to the presence of kidney stones.

Both Dilip and Dipika’s mother Shobha had married when Dipika was eight years old. Shobha also has a younger daughter Shefali and Dilip has two children, a son Ram and a daughter Sapna, both bed-ridden with cerebral palsy. Dilip and Shobha were both widowed and were struggling in their individual lives. But both had solemnly promised that there would be no differences in the treatment of any children.

The family is bound by love. Dipika said that Dilip has perhaps loved her far more than her real father and that he never hesitated to donate his kidney even once. And Dilip too added his bit that Dipika is not a step daughter from his wife’s first marriage. She is his daughter, enrolled with his name in the school. Blood does not determine the depth of relationships, love does.

Dr. Mahesh Desai, director of MPUH Kidney Hospital in Nadiad told TOI that this is a rare instance of father-daughter bonding. They have seen real fathers shying away from donating an organ; Dilip did not bat an eyelid.

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