Dr. Maryam Shoukat, a 27-year-old Pakistani physician pursuing her residency in the United States, passed away just half an hour before undergoing a life-saving liver transplant.
Earlier this month, Dr. Maryam was admitted to Rutgers University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, after suffering acute liver failure. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, and doctors stressed that an urgent transplant was her only chance of survival.
Her husband, Dr. Hamza Zafar, sought help from the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA). The organization responded immediately by launching an emergency fundraising campaign. Within a single day, $273,000 was raised, with the total now close to $400,000.
The overwhelming support prompted the hospital to reduce the transplant cost from $900,000 to $450,000. APPNA quickly paid $100,000, allowing Dr. Maryam’s name to be added to the official transplant list. A matching donor liver was soon located, giving hope that her life could be saved.
According to APPNA General Secretary Dr. Muhammad Sanaullah and President Dr. Humera Qamar, alongside physicians including Dr. A. Fazal Akbar, Dr. Zeeshan, Dr. Babar Rao, Dr. Fateh Shehzad, and Dr. Siddique Khurram, the entire community rallied to support the effort. They described it as a mission to save the life of a young doctor who herself had chosen a profession dedicated to saving others.
Tragically, just as she was about to be taken for surgery, Dr. Maryam’s condition suddenly worsened, and she died 30 minutes before the procedure.
APPNA leaders expressed their sorrow, calling her story one of sacrifice, courage, and hope. “She came with the dream of healing others, but in the end, she needed healing herself,” the organization said.