Heart donated in Panchkula gives Sudanese teen in Delhi new life

NEW DELHI: A 14-year-old boy from Sudan, who had come to Delhi for treatment, got a second chance at life after a donor heart was flown in from neighbhouring Haryana’s Panchkula, where a 41-year-old woman was declared brain dead and her family consented to organ donation. Sudeshna Singh, a teacher and wife of a serving Indian Army officer, was admitted to Command Hospital, Chandimandir, after a severe brain haemorrhage and remained in the ICU for nearly 17 days.For the boy, whose mother works in Egypt, the transplant was the only option. He had arrived in India about a month ago and was initially stabilised, but his condition worsened again.“He developed severe heart failure last week. A transplant was his only chance,” said Dr Mukesh Goel, senior consultant, cardiothoracic surgery, Apollo Hospitals. After doctors confirmed brain death, the family was counselled about organ donation. “There is a limited window of about 24 to 72 hours in such cases,” a family friend said. Initially hesitant, the man agreed to donation after being convinced by his elder daughter, a Class XII student.For the boy, the matching donor heart became available on May 2, after Singh was declared brain dead. With a narrow window of about four hours to retrieve and implant the heart, a specialised Apollo team flew to Chandigarh in a chartered aircraft, retrieved the organ, and returned to Delhi the same evening. A green corridor created by Delhi traffic police ensured the heart reached the hospital from the airport in about 20 minutes.“The heart was implanted and circulation restored within the critical time frame. The transplant was completed successfully by midnight,” Dr Gaurav Kumar, senior consultant- paediatric cardiovascular surgeon, Apollo Hospitals, said.