An Indian woman became the first woman on the planet to don a man’s hands – and noticed some shocking changes she experienced since the transplant.
Eight years ago, 18-year-old Shreya Siddanagowder lost both her arms below the elbow after she was involved in a horrific accident while riding the bus.
However, instead of dwelling in self-pity – which would be completely understandable – it has become ‘the making’ of her.
After trying prosthetic hands, Shreya explained that it ‘didn’t work for her’, and so in 2017, she underwent a 13-hour transplant operation performed by a whopping 16 anesthesiologists and 20 surgeons.
The donor of her hands was a 21-year-old who was tragically killed following a collision on his bike.
Speaking about her hands in a 2019 Facebook video from the MOHAN Foundation, an Indian organ donation and transplantation charity, she urged viewers to appreciate their hands because they are ‘one of the greatest assets you can ever have’.
Shreya said: “I have been in a horrible bus accident, it was so horrible that I lost both my forearms just below the elbow in an accident.
“Prosthetic hands didn’t work for me at all that’s when I decided to op for a bilateral hand transplant and you know it’s been almost two years since my surgery and I can do most of my work and I don’t have to depend on anyone else.
Shreya Siddanagowder spoke to the MOHON Foundation, an Indian charity, about the incredible changes her hands have gone through. (SANKET WANKHADE/AFP via Getty Images)
“I feel like every person has the right to lead his or her life with some dignity.”
She added: “I’m glad I got a second chance in my life and I couldn’t have been more grateful.
“I’m first female in the entire world to have male hands I think you cannot make out I’ve got male hands because they have feminine features now.”
But what does she mean, and just how feminine are they now?
The main changes Shreya revealed were that her hands, which she received from a man who had a darker skin tone than her, had slowly, over time, changed complexion to almost match hers – something no one knew was possible.
Shreya Siddanagowder brushes her hair in a bathroom at her home in Pune, more than two years after transplant surgery for both hands. (SANKET WANKHADE/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Dr. Uday Khopkar, head of dermatology at King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, doctors believe her body produces less melanin, a pigment that gives skin its color, than her donor’s did, but suggested more research would be required to confirm the cause, The Indian Express reports.
But that wasn’t the only change, because over time, her hands gradually became slimmer.
Shreya added: “I used to always think the accident was something really bad and I was devastated at that time, the accident could have been the end of me but strangely enough it became the making of something new, better and beautiful I don’t have any regrets.”
An incredibly powerful story from an incredibly powerful woman.
Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
