500-kg Egyptian woman to visit India soon for surgery

Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty, 36, is preparing herself to be flown to Mumbai in the next 10 days, said her sister Shaymaa. Eman's story had gone viral on the social media and many news outlets published about her condition. She has barely left her bedroom in nearly 25 years, according to her family. 

After knowing about her condition, Mumbai-based bariatric surgeon Muffazal Lakdawala reached her and offered his help. He even set up a fundraiser to fly Eman to India. Lakdawala reached Eman's family through his Egyptian friend and doctor Diaa el-Behairy. "I had put up several posts about Eman on social media and attached my mobile number for anyone who wanted to help. That's how Dr Diaa succeeded in reaching us," said Shaymaa. She said desperate pleas to the Egyptian presidency, armed forces, and the Governor of Alexandria, where she lives, did not yield satisfactory results.

Eman suffers from thyroid since childhood. She weighed about 5 kg at birth, and by 11 she had stopped going to school due to her weight, her sister said. Eman also suffers from thrombosis - the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system - and she can't even speak. 

"Eman's case needs a huge amount of money," she said. "I'm very grateful to Dr Muffazal for offering to fly Eman to India on a private medical plane," she said. The procedural roadblocks for her treatment were cleared after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's intervention. "Dr Muffazal had urged minister Swaraj on twitter to facilitate Eman's visa procedures, and she helped us," Shaymaa said. Eman is expected to return home after a year of treatment.