A Dubai teenager was given the gift of life when his father donated a kidney after Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, stepped in to ensure the family received crucial health care.
Pritvik Sinhadc, 16, received the organ transplant from a live donor in the first surgery of its kind to be carried out in the UAE.
A team of physicians from Al Jalila Children's Specialty Hospital , Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences and Mediclinic Middle East came together for the life-saving procedure.
I pledge to work towards raising awareness on the crucial need for organ donation in saving lives of patients like me
The surgery was funded by Al Jalila Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation set up by Sheikh Mohammed.
Pritvik, who has been named a UAE Ambassador for Organ Donation, said he felt lucky his father could come to his aid and vowed to dedicate himself to helping others overcome serious illness.
"I pledge to work towards raising awareness on the crucial need for organ donation in saving lives of patients like me, who would otherwise not make it without a transplant," he said.
"I have been lucky to have my father as my donor. However, there are many who need transplants to survive and I shall be working closely with MBRU and the Al Jalila Foundation to ensure that there is increased awareness of organ donation."
The Dubai College pupil’s world fell apart when he had stage-four renal failure diagnosed in 2019.
The problem was compounded when Covid-19 struck and his family were told the high risk of infection made travelling to hospital too risky.
Pritvik’s future looked bleak until he was contacted by the office of the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai last June.
In a letter, Sheikh Mohammed wrote: “To my dear Pritvik, this is a small gesture from me to you to remind you that you are at home here and that you are in safe hands, and I will pray to God to keep you in good health and safe. Keep smiling, my little warrior.”
Pritvik's father, Bhaskar Sinhadc, was identified as a successful match after which he underwent a full donor evaluation process.
Mr Sinhadc appealed for help from Al Jalila Foundation after fearing all hope was lost.
"It felt like we were staring into a black hole because the situation looked so bleak," Mr Sinhadc said in an interview with The National last year.
“I resigned from my job working for an oil and gas company in Qatar to come back and help my son, but it was so frustrating being stuck over there, unable to do anything."
The transplant was performed by Dr Ramzi Ayache, nephrologist at Mediclinic City Hospital, in collaboration with Dr Farhad Janahi, consultant urologist and transplant surgeon at Mediclinic City Hospital and assistant professor of surgery at MBRU and Dr Waldo Concepcion, head of the Al Jalila Children's Organ Transplant Centre.
The operation is expected to improve Pritvik's quality of life in the years ahead.
Pritvik was born with 50 per cent renal failure, but that did not stop him making a name for himself with his achievements.
He has written three books already, the first of which was published when he was only seven.
At the age of 14, he was chosen as one of 45 scholars from around the world to take part in the World Science Fair in New York.
This was all the more remarkable because the competition is usually open only to those aged 15 to 17.
Pritvik plans to study for a career in astrobiology and astrophysics.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
More on Quran memorisation:
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
ELECTION%20RESULTS
%3Cp%3EMacron%E2%80%99s%20Ensemble%20group%20won%20245%20seats.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20second-largest%20group%20in%20parliament%20is%20Nupes%2C%20a%20leftist%20coalition%20led%20by%20Jean-Luc%20Melenchon%2C%20which%20gets%20131%20lawmakers.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20far-right%20National%20Rally%20fared%20much%20better%20than%20expected%20with%2089%20seats.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20centre-right%20Republicans%20and%20their%20allies%20took%2061.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Top New Zealand cop on policing the virtual world
New Zealand police began closer scrutiny of social media and online communities after the attacks on two mosques in March, the country's top officer said.
The killing of 51 people in Christchurch and wounding of more than 40 others shocked the world. Brenton Tarrant, a suspected white supremacist, was accused of the killings. His trial is ongoing and he denies the charges.
Mike Bush, commissioner of New Zealand Police, said officers looked closely at how they monitored social media in the wake of the tragedy to see if lessons could be learned.
“We decided that it was fit for purpose but we need to deepen it in terms of community relationships, extending them not only with the traditional community but the virtual one as well," he told The National.
"We want to get ahead of attacks like we suffered in New Zealand so we have to challenge ourselves to be better."
My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
Pushkin Press
