The parents of an 18-month-old boy donated his organ to a 14-year-old boy in Gujarat after he was declared brain dead.

The liver was transported from a private hospital in Surat to Navanti Max Super Speciality Hospital in Mumbai via the 281 km interstate green corridor, and it took 4 hours and 20 minutes of travel to reach the hospital in Gujarat. The transportation of the organ was facilitated by the Mumbai Police and traffic authorities in the busy streets of Mumbai.

The donor was an 18-month-old boy from Surat, Gujarat, who fell at home and was declared brain-dead on January 2 at a private hospital. The child’s kidneys, liver, and cornea were donated after the parents gave their consent.

The recipient is a 14-year-old boy from Nashik who suffered from ‘type 1 hypercholesterolemia’. It is a rare genetic disorder in which the serum cholesterol level is three times higher than normal, which increases the risk of stroke and cardiac problems at a very early age as the condition affects the liver's ability to regulate serum cholesterol levels, according to the statement given by the liver transplant surgeon, Dr. Anurag Shrimal. The 14-year-old boy had been waiting to undergo a liver transplant to treat his condition since 2014.

The liver transplant surgery was successfully performed on the 14-year-old teenager on Wednesday by a team of doctors, taking more than 4 hours. The hospital reported that the patient is doing well after the surgery, and he is currently recovering.

According to the article published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, type 1 hypercholesterolemia is a rare genetic condition that affects 1 in 250 people, leading to a risk of having cardiac problems at an early age. The low-density lipoprotein levels in the blood are more than 160 mg/dl in children with type 1 hypercholesterolemia, whereas in adults it is 190 mg/dl. The cause of type 1 hypercholesterolemia is mutation in LDLR, APOB, and PCSK9 genes. Some clinical signs of this genetic condition include lumps in the joints and yellowish discoloration around the eyes.¹

 Reference:

1. https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/disease/fh/FH.htm

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Rohini Devi)