148-kg Aurangabad woman 'crowd-funds' bariatric surgery

A 148-kg woman hailing from a poor family hopes to get a new lease of life after she managed to 'crowd-fund' her bariatric surgery, an official said here on Tuesday.

The patient is 38-year-old Zeenath Kausar Khan, a graduate, who will be operated upon by Dr. Ramen Goel at the Wockhardt Hospital on Wednesday (March 15).

Her husband, a tailor, earns barely Rs 3,000 a month and it is extremely difficult for them to survive on his paltry earnings along with their two children since Zeenath's medical condition prevents her from working, though she was a teacher once.

The Aurangabad-based woman was forced to give up her teaching job a few years ago after obesity severely restricted her normal movements and the condition worsened due to lack of money for treatment.

"Feeling stuck by her condition, Zeenath took matters in her own hand and launched a crowd-funding campaign to generate finances for her bariatric surgery earlier this month," said Goel.

The campaign, 'Help Zeenath Khan undergo a bariatric surgery' quickly went viral on the social media and she collected around Rs 150,000 in online and offline donations.

The Wockhardt has decided to help Zeenathby waiving off the hospital and surgical charges to enable her get a new lease of life, he added.

Goel explained that Zeenath has been diagnosed as suffering from a genetic obesity and cannot lose weight by only life-style modifications.

"She will need medical intervention and will undergo a sleeve gastrectomy in which her stomach size will be reduced by 80 per cent. Within a year, her weight will reduce by around 70-80 kg," he said.

A BMI of 58.8 putting her in the category of super morbidity obese, Zeenath suffered from obesity-induced knee and back pains, breathlessness, hypertension and related issues.

Goel is optimistic that after her surgery and subsequent weight loss, she will become an earning member and contribute to the family's well-being.

--IANS

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