Dr Maryam Shaukat, 27, who had gone to the US from Pakistan for residency, died there on Sunday, just half an hour before a liver transplant after being treated in the hospital due to liver failure.
Dr Maryam had come to the US with a dream of serving humanity and healing others, but life did not give her a respite.
According to the family sources, Dr Maryam was undergoing treatment at Rutgers University Hospital in New Jersey in New York earlier this month due to sudden liver failure. Due to her rapidly deteriorating condition, while doctors advised an immediate liver transplant, upon which her husband Dr. Hamza Zafar contacted the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA)and appealed for help.
APPNA launched an emergency fundraising campaign on this appeal and collected about $400,000 for treatment. As a result of this extraordinary support, the hospital reduced the cost of the transplant from $900,000 to $450,000.
Dr Maryam’s name was added to the transplant list and a suitable liver match was found. However half an hour before the liver transplant surgery on Sunday. Maryam’s condition suddenly deteriorated and she met her true creator.
The Pakistani community and members of APPNA expressed deep sorrow and grief over the demise of Dr Maryam and said that her struggle will always be remembered and her dream will live on in the hearts of others.