Sixteen-year-old Anamta Ahmad celebrated Rakhi with a special brother this year.
Ahmad tied the string of friendship on the wrist of Shivam, whose nine-year-old sister died last year, but her hands were given to the 16-year-old girl.
Mumbai’s Ahmad became the world’s youngest recipient of a shoulder-level hand transplant.
Riya is now the bridge between the two families.
“We felt that Riya came alive to tie a rakhi. I cooked her favourite gulab jamun as we used to celebrate Rakshabandhan. We are still overcoming her loss, but felt good seeing how Anamta is so happy and living a good life,” Trushna, mother of Riya, told The Times of India.
“Riya liked making videos of celebrations and clicking several photos,” she said.
Ahmad reached Gujarat from Mumbai with her parents to meet Riya’s family members.
“I was waiting to meet Riya’s family. They are my family now. I am the only child of my parents, but now I have a brother,” Ahmad told the newspaper.
Last year in September, Riya was admitted to a hospital for treatment after she was diagnosed with a brain haemorrhage.
She was declared brain dead on September 16, a day after her admission to the hospital.
Her two kidneys, liver, a hand, lungs, and corneas were harvested.
Ahmad suffered an electric shock in 2022 at a relative’s place in Aligarh.
Her arms were later amputated.
