Jacob and Soma Mani have a love story that has stood the test of time and tribulation.
Three years ago, Jacob encountered some complications after being diagnosed with COVID-19. A pre-existing condition, diabetes, led to additional complications for him during his recovery process. A little over a year later, he was hospitalized for kidney failure, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Jacob decided that he wanted a live donor transplant, which provided its own set of challenges. All three of the couple’s daughters received testing along with Jacob’s brother, and all were found to be incompatible donor matches for him.
During this process, Jacob’s wife, Soma, underwent the same testing to see if she was a compatible donor. When the results proved she was a match, she began the process of preparing herself physically and mentally for the transplant surgery.
When asked about the donation process, Soma told DX, “Ultimately, the Holy Spirit inspired me to donate, so we didn’t [consider] any other way, and I decided to donate to my husband.” Soma explained that she felt a sense of duty and responsibility to take care of her husband by donating a kidney to help save his life.
The donor and transplant procedures took place on November 8, 2023, as previously reported by DX. In an interview with DX, Jacob described his recovery process, which took about six months. For the first month or so, he struggled to walk, but after the second month, he was able to walk again. After fully recovering in March, he still receives weekly bloodwork to check his insulin levels.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, diabetes poses significant risks to people who have had a transplant, including organ rejection, infection, and even death. Transplant recipients need to balance anti-rejection medications and steroid doses with their insulin needs.
Soma also told DX about her recovery process, in which she expressed some concerns. The first month was also painful for her, but she was able to take two months off of work to heal properly. Her scar is gone now, and she has returned to work along with Jacob.
“We both are very grateful for our medical team, all the transplant doctors and the surgeons [and] nurses. They did a great job,” Soma said. “We are very grateful to Parkland Hospital as well as to UT Southwestern.”
As the couple reflected on this experience, they shared some sentiments about the process and what they hope others will see in their story. “We want to be a good example and a good couple for others,” Soma explained. “Everything is possible through God,” she stated. “Nothing we did from our side: the matching, the process, the healing — everything is done because of God’s grace.”