Tragedy: Pakistani doctor dies in US just before liver transplant

Dubai: In a heartbreaking turn of events, Dr. Maryam Shoukat, a 27-year-old Pakistani doctor pursuing her residency in the United States, passed away only 30 minutes before her scheduled liver transplant at Rutgers University Hospital in Newark.

Maryam had travelled to the US with the dream of serving humanity through medicine. But earlier this month, she was suddenly diagnosed with acute liver failure. Her health deteriorated rapidly, and doctors declared that an urgent transplant was the only way to save her life.

Unprecedented fundraising

In this critical moment, her husband, Dr. Hamza Zafar, appealed to the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) for help. APPNA launched an emergency fund-raising campaign that received an overwhelming response: within 24 hours, $273,000 was raised, and the total quickly grew to nearly $400,000.

Huge response

The extraordinary outpouring of support compelled the hospital to slash the transplant cost from $900,000 to $450,000. APPNA immediately paid $100,000 to place Maryam on the official transplant list, and soon, a matching donor liver was found, Geo TV reported.

But hope turned into tragedy. Just before surgery, Maryam suffered brain herniation, slipped into a coma, and passed away after being removed from life support.

Condolences

APPNA leaders expressed deep sorrow at the loss. President Dr. Humera Qamar said: “We all fought with every resource possible to save her. Maryam was not just a patient, she was one of us, a young doctor who came to heal others. Her loss is devastating.”

General Secretary Dr. Muhammad Sanaullah added: “It is rare to see a community mobilise with such urgency and compassion. Everyone believed Maryam’s recovery would allow her to serve humanity, but fate had other plans.”

Tribute

Colleagues and members of the Pakistani medical community also paid tribute to Maryam. Dr Babar Rao, a senior physician in New Jersey, said: “She was brilliant, compassionate, and had so much to give to the world. This loss is beyond words.”

Messages of condolence poured in from around the world. Many Pakistani doctors described her as “a daughter of the nation” and expressed their grief on social media. Community members said her story highlighted both the fragility of life and the strength of unity in times of crisis.

“She left us too soon, but she united thousands of people in prayer, in action, and in hope,” wrote one APPNA member.