Mr.Sanjay, India

Sanjay from Kancheepuram, was born with Biliary Atresia, a serious but a rare disease of the liver that affects newborn infants. In his case, the loss of bile ducts caused the bile to remain in the liver. At 62 days of life, Sanjay underwent a Kasai Procedure to correct the illness but the jaundiced condition remained. The bile in his body was building and damaging Sanjay’s liver everyday leading to liver cirrhosis thereby making a liver transplant necessary in the initial years of his life.
Since the time Sanjay was born, he suffered from symptoms of jaundice – yellow eyes, darkening of urine, clay-like stools etc; these symptoms warned the family of a graver condition and they rushed him to Madras Child Hospital where they recommended a liver transplant operation as the only lasting solution for the condition. In 1998, the year of Sanjay’s birth, transplantation of solid human organs was undoubtedly one of the greatest medical breakthroughs of the century. The disturbed family decided to bring Sanjay to Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi after hearing about its one of a kind transplant program and he was taken care of under Dr Anupam Sibal, Senior Consultant Pediatrics, Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the hospital.
Sanjay’s father came forward to donate a part of his liver (30%) to give his son a new lease of life. However, Sanjay’s treatment was long and arduous; it involved three major surgical procedures which included the transplantation itself, apart from ventilatory support and heavy medications. But with the help of a dedicated team of surgeons, physicians, intensivists, trained nurses and support staff, one and half year old Sanjay and the hospital created history by performing the first successful liver transplant in the country on 15 November 1998.
On 1st March 1999, nearly three months after he was first admitted in the hospital, Sanjay was discharged after a successful liver transplant that saved his life. 12 years down the line, Sanjay is now leading a completely normal life, goes to school like other kids, enjoys meals, plays football and more importantly aspires to become a doctor to save lives of many more in this country. Sanjay’s story is unique and important as he stands testament to the life altering potential of transplantation and to the pioneering nature of the program at the Apollo Hospitals Group.