An Interview with Raghav Kohli
Fun Uncle and Fearless Organ Donor
In our last issue, we met 11-year-old Tej Bisarya , who fought a rare form of liver cancer with help from UCSF’s Pediatric Liver Center, and his uncle, Raghav Kohli, who donated a portion of his liver to Tej in 2022. We spoke with Raghav about his decision to undergo major surgery on behalf of his nephew, and why giving back has become fundamental to his worldview.
What went through your mind when you heard Tej’s diagnosis?
We were shocked. The thought of someone so young getting cancer really was difficult to process. The immediate thing you say is, “Let me know how I can help,” but the reality is, you don’t know how to help. So when we got the email saying that a living donor transplant would be Tej’s best option for survival, I immediately filled out the donor survey. I tend to jump right into things!
What happened when you learned you were a match?
As a parent, I thought that if the same thing happened to my child, and for some reason, I couldn’t donate, I would hope that someone would raise their hand. I just couldn’t imagine the pain they were in, and what Tej was going through. To be honest, I didn’t even think it through. [My wife] Purvi and I just said, “Let’s get this process started, and then we’ll learn more as we go along.”
Had you ever considered organ donation before?
No, not really. But we felt comfortable right away. We watched the Netflix documentary “The Surgeon’s Cut,” which features UCSF surgeon Dr. Nancy Ascher, who is a pioneer in living-donor surgery. UCSF’s track record, and how they handled my process from the outset, really inspired us.
Did you have any concerns?
We knew this would introduce some chaos and uncertainty into our lives, but we are a strong team, and we have a lot of support – from our employers, our families, and our friends. And we felt like our privilege put us in a unique position to help. We believed we could survive this and come out stronger on the other side.
I also felt really supported by the UCSF team. I had always thought of the medical profession as X’s and O’s. Diagnosis and treatment. But it was so much more than that. As a patient, you have so many ups and downs along the way, and across the board, everyone, from the doctors to the nurses to the technicians and administrators, showed me so much empathy.
How was the recovery process?
I like challenges. I’d never had any major medical issues, so the recovery piece didn’t scare me. I was like “OK, let’s do this!” Fast-forward 18 months later, and I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in.
How has this changed your relationship with Tej?
It brought us closer. I feel really emotionally invested in him now. I became an outlet for him. Whenever I went in for my appointments, I would stop by his room at the children’s hospital to talk. We would play video games and text. During our recovery, we watched the World Cup together.
Did the experience change you?
It really does test your character when you go through something like that. A week after Tej went into remission, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I think the surgery helped prepare us for that. Even now, I try to keep the perspective of how fragile life is and make sure we’re spending our time on things that really matter.
These days, we’re always asking ourselves how we can help. I am currently volunteering for the American Cancer Society and hope to serve as a sounding board for others who are considering organ donation. I’m always trying to take a step back and appreciate how lucky I am and not wait for something to happen to take action, but to be more proactive about how we can contribute to making things better.
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