From Bulgaria To India: A Remarkable Transplant Journey Of Hope And Unity
NDTV
Suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy, she endured two cardiac arrests: the first during transit over Karachi airspace, and the second upon her arrival at MGM Healthcare.
The survival prospects for little Diana (name changed), a one-and-a-half-year-old girl, appeared bleak as she was urgently flown from Bulgaria to MGM Healthcare in Chennai, following severe heart failure.
Suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy, she endured two cardiac arrests: the first during transit over Karachi airspace, and the second upon her arrival at MGM Healthcare. Both cardiac arrests necessitated resuscitation.
Upon her arrival, she was rushed to the operating room immediately. There, Diana was connected to a venoarterial (VA)-ECMO, a heart-supporting device, and quickly transferred to the ICU, her chest left open. She miraculously regained consciousness 48 hours later, as doctors charted the course ahead. Although they were contemplating an artificial pump, a heart from a two-year-old brain-dead boy in Mumbai gave hope. However, there was a catch: the donor's heart had a different blood group.