A 10-month-old baby from Chayu County of the Tibet Autonomous Region has been given a new lease on life after undergoing heart surgery at Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.
The boy, identified as Tenzin Norbu, developed recurrent pneumonia and severe arrhythmias four months after his birth and was diagnosed with a severe congenital heart disease.
“We sought treatment at the Chayu County Health Center, and even the Linzhi People’s Hospital, but the doctor told us that the child was suffering from a rare congenital heart disease, and the local hospital didn’t have the right facilities to conduct the surgery,” Kelsang Yodron, the child’s mother, told the Daily.
She said that because the family was financially strapped, they were unable to seek medical treatment farther away from home. Therefore, the child’s illness had worsened.
This August, the ninth aid group to Chayu County, which is backed by the Shenzhen government, learned about the situation and contacted Shenzhen Children’s Hospital.
“In just three days, we had worked with the hospital to determine a plan for surgery in Shenzhen,” Liu Zhenchun, leader of the aid group, told the Daily.
On Aug. 16, Tenzin Norbu and his family arrived in Shenzhen after a six-hour flight that covered more than 3,000 kilometers. The ambulance and cardiac surgery team from the children’s hospital was already waiting outside the airport.
After the child was admitted to the children’s hospital, the hospital’s cardiac surgery department immediately began to carry out various assessments and examinations on him. “Generally speaking, the child’s illness was quite serious,” said Liang Suixin, director of the department’s intensive care unit.
On Aug. 21, Ding Yiqun, director of the cardiac surgery department, successfully performed a difficult and high-risk aortic arch reconstruction operation on the child.
Tenzin Norbu recovered quickly following the surgery. When a reporter from the Daily visited him Wednesday, he was snuggling in his mother’s arms with a big smile on his face.
It was reported that in consideration of the family’s financial difficulties, the children’s hospital waived part of Tenzin Norbu’s medical bills. Additionally, SF Foundation provided assistance to the boy, basically covering all of his medical expenses.
Tenzin Norbu is expected to be discharged from the hospital Friday.