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Baby needs urgent liver transplant

“This is my second baby and when he was born in Karachi, doctors said that his bile ducts were missing,” said his grieved mother Saima Arshad. “He has already been operated upon once in Pakistan, but a life-saving operation still remains,” she adds.

His illness came to light when Sherjan started passing green stools. Though he kept growing, his jaundiced state persisted. At the present state, his abdomen has started to distend and a prominent vein has also appeared on his abdomen, according to a diagnosis carried out by a doctor at the Aga Khan Hospital. Sherjan was also diagnosed with portal hypertension.

“This kind of operation is not done in Pakistan. Only one institute carries out such operations and that is SIUT in Karachi,” informed Saima.

She also said that at the institute a team of doctors from abroad performed the surgeries free-of-cost. “But due to the political unrest in Pakistan, the team has not visited Karachi for the past two and half years, while only three surgeries have been performed at the institute,” she said adding that only two were successful.

“We have contacted a doctor in India who has agreed to perform the operation, but we need a total of Rs1.4 million ($34,000). I am ready to donate part of my liver to save the life of my son as even my blood group matches with that of my son,” explained Saima.

According to Dr A. S. Soin, senior liver transplant and hepatobiliary surgeon, head of liver transplantation at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, as explained to the concerned parents, “The donor operation is very safe.”

• UAE