Youngest donor in country saves infant

Thiruvananthapuram: This is among the most heartening developments in the field of organ donation. A 10-month-old infant, Alin, became the youngest organ donor in the country, saving the life of six-month-old Dhriya, who was battling a life-threatening liver disease from birth. Following the transplant, her condition improved steadily, and her liver function has now stabilised.

Dhriya was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia, a condition in which bile ducts fail to develop normally, blocking the flow of bile from the liver to the gallbladder. It affects approximately one in 70,000 newborns worldwide.

She had earlier undergone Kasai surgery, in which blocked bile ducts are removed and a new drainage pathway is created using a portion of the small intestine. Despite this, she developed severe complications, including Portal Hypertension, refractory ascites, and synthetic liver dysfunction.

She was later referred to KIMSHEALTH, where doctors determined that a liver transplant was the only viable life-saving option.

Under the leadership of Dr. Shiraz Ahmad Rather and Dr. Shabeerali T.U., Dhriya underwent a complex 12-hour liver transplant. Doctors described the procedure as extraordinarily challenging due to the young ages of both donor and recipient. The post-operative phase required intensive monitoring and coordinated care by a multidisciplinary team, ultimately leading to a successful recovery.