Pakistani Doctor in U.S. Dies Half an Hour Before Life-Saving Liver Transplant Despite Emergency Fundraising Efforts
By: Raja Zahid Akhtar Khanzada
New Jersey: Dr. Maryam Shoukat, a 27-year-old Pakistani doctor who came to the United States for her residency, passed away today just half an hour before her scheduled liver transplant surgery. She had been admitted to the hospital in critical condition due to acute liver failure. Dr. Maryam came to the U.S. with a dream to serve humanity and heal others, but fate did not grant her the time to fulfill that dream.
Earlier this month, Dr. Maryam was admitted to Rutgers University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, after her liver suddenly failed. Her condition rapidly deteriorated, and doctors made it clear that an urgent liver transplant was the only way to save her life. In this critical situation, her husband, Dr. Hamza Zafar, reached out to APPNA (Association of Physicians of Pakistani-descent of North America) for help.
APPNA immediately launched an emergency fundraising campaign. Within just one day, APPNA members raised $273,000. This extraordinary response led the hospital to reduce the total transplant cost from $900,000 to $450,000. APPNA quickly paid $100,000 to the hospital, allowing Dr. Maryam’s name to be officially placed on the transplant list. A matching donor liver was also found soon after.
APPNA stated that before the surgery, they had managed to raise nearly $400,000 for Dr. Maryam’s treatment. APPNA stated that before the surgery, they had managed to raise nearly $400,000 for Dr. Maryam’s treatment.
According to APPNA’s General Secretary Dr. Muhammad Sanaullah and Dr. A. Fazal Akbar, the organization’s President Dr. Humera Qamar, along with Dr. Zeeshan, Dr. Babar Rao, Dr. Fateh Shehzad, and Dr. Siddique Khurram, played vital roles in this life-saving effort. They shared that all members came together with the hope of saving a life that, once recovered, would go on to save many more through her service as a doctor.
Tragically, just as Dr. Maryam was about to be taken to the operating room for the transplant today, her condition suddenly worsened, and she passed away only thirty minutes before the procedure.
APPNA leaders expressed deep sorrow, saying that Dr. Maryam Shoukat’s journey was a story of sacrifice, courage, and hope. She came to heal others, but in her final days, she needed healing herself. Despite every effort and relentless attempts by APPNA and the medical team, they were unable to save her.
Members of APPNA and the wider Pakistani-American community expressed profound grief and sadness over her passing, stating that her struggle and dream will always be remembered and will continue to inspire others in their hearts.
