British man gives new life to eight-year-old boy suffering from thalassemia
The doctor then advised the parents to go for a bone marrow transplant and the test for first match for
stem cells were his siblings and parents.
Published: 08th May 2019 06:55 AM | Last Updated: 08th May 2019 06:55 AM | A+A A-
Image of blood test used for representation.
BENGALURU: An eight-year-old boy from Shivamogga who was suffering from thalassemia was wrongly diagnosed and was said to be suffering from anaemia since he was six. The boy underwent weekly blood transfusions at a hospital in Shivamogga for anaemia.
This increased the iron content of his body. Observing that the weekly blood transfusions were not helping the boy, the hospital asked the parents to take him to Bengaluru for treatment. It was then that the boy was diagnosed with thalassemia.
Little did his parents know that their child’s life was in danger. When the hospital conducted a genetic test, it was proven that the boy was suffering from thalassemia. But due to earlier treatment, the iron content in his body had increased, which posed a threat to his heart and could even cost him his life.
The doctor then advised the parents to go for a bone marrow transplant and the test for first match for
stem cells were his siblings and parents.
“The parents and his siblings’ bone marrow did not match completely.
His parents were a half match. We wanted someone who is a full match. We tried looking throughout India but we couldn’t get anyone. Since his parents were a half match, we asked them to undergo the procedure but they were reluctant as the success rate was not as good as a full match,” said consultant of pediatric oncology and bone marrow transplant Dr Anand Kumar of Fortis Hospital, Bannerghata Road.
After a few months, the parents got a donor from India, who was all set for a bone marrow transplant, but just when the doctors and parents were getting set for it, the donor backed out. Then came a 45-year-old life saver from the UK, who was a full match for the boy.
“We kept searching for donors and it was through registrar firms that we got a donor from the UK, who was healthy and could donate his stem cells,” said Dr Kumar.The donor was given an injection to increase his stem cells, which were shipped to Bengaluru at minus 4 degrees Celsius. “The transplant was successful and soon the boy was fine and free from thalassemia,” said Dr Kumar.
