Connecticut family begs government to approve visa so father can get kidney transplant
A Connecticut family is pleading with the government to approve a visa for their relative, who lives in India, so that he can travel to the United States and donate his kidney to a family member in need. The family claims that the process is being held up over concerns from the embassy in New Delhi that the donor won't return to India after the procedure.
Emreen Bharara, the daughter of the man seeking a kidney, told CBS News that the process with the embassy has been "really frustrating."
"If my dad isn't the American dream, I don't know what is. He worked non-stop so we could go to college and now that he needs help from the state, it's not there," she said of her father, Gurvinder Singh Bharara. "We don't need help, we don't need money, we just need the visa."
Bharara said that her family didn't know how serious the condition was until her father came down with the flu last winter. Now, she said, he's in stage five adrenal failure and the transplant list has a wait time of five to seven years. Emreen, her mother and her brother don't have the right blood type to donate, which left the family with no choice but to look elsewhere, she added.
According to a change.org petition, Bharara has spent the past year dealing with failing kidneys as he struggles with Type 2 diabetes. His doctors say the 56-year-old father of two is now in dire need of a transplant. Bharara's nephew, Gursimran Singh Bharara, has been approved as a match and is willing to donate his kidney, the petition says — but he lives in India and would need to come to the U.S., as Bharara is not healthy enough to travel.
The nephew, however, has yet to be approved for a B-2 medical emergency tourist visa, despite applying "numerous times," Bharara said. She added that the the U.S. Consulate Office in New Delhi, India, has expressed to the family that officials are concerned Gursimran will not return to the country following the procedure — despite his efforts to show he has "extensive ties" to his home country.
"Gursimran is a husband and father of two young children, one of whom is just two months old, who he supports in his home in India," the petition reads. "He is also the co-owner of a successful family furniture business and is one of the main providers for his retired parents."
A spokesperson for the state department told CBS News that they are aware of the situation, but that confidentiality laws prevent them from discussing specific visa cases.
The expenses for the trip and the procedure would be covered by Bharara's family and their insurance, according to the petition. The family has emphasized that Gursimran would return to India as soon as he has recovered from surgery, and that if his departure was delayed for any reason, both his and the extended family's combined income would keep him from becoming a "public charge."
In addition to trying to get the visa approved, the petition is also asking for possible matches in the U.S. who would be willing to donate a kidney.
"My dad doesn't have time to play the whole political game anymore," Emreen stressed.
The petition, addressed to Congress, the Department of State, U.S. Embassy of India, U.S. Consulate of India and President Donald Trump, has garnered more than 8,000 signatures since it was created last week. The goal of the petition, Emreen said, is to raise awareness about what is happening and get the family connected to someone who can help.
The family has also been working with a pro-bono immigration attorney and plans to re-apply for the medical visa for roughly the fourth time since September, Emreen said, adding that the last time they heard from the embassy was around three weeks ago.
"It just hurts," Emreen said. "Every time we all get our hopes up and then every time we're let down even more."
