The eight-year-old has become the first person in Britain to undergo an organ transplant, without having to take immunosuppressive medications for the rest of her life.
Aditi Shankar, who suffers from a rare genetic condition, received a new kidney and bone marrow from her mother Divya.
Because she underwent a stem transplant using bone marrow, she was able to get rid of immunosuppressants a month after receiving the new organ.
Doctors at Great Ormond Street Hospital in the United Kingdom did a tremendous job, enabling the girl’s body to accept the new kidney and consider it a part of it.
Immunosuppressants are an essential part of the lives of organ transplant patients, because they prevent the body from rejecting the new organ.
Although they provide a vital function, they work by suppressing the body’s immune system. Therefore, anyone who takes it is more susceptible to infection, among other complications, according to what was published on the website “Sky News”.
The girl was referred to Great Ormond Street Hospital when she was five years old, and doctors discovered that she was suffering from a condition called autoimmune skeletal dysplasia, which affects the immune system and the functioning of the kidneys.
In the United Kingdom, this disease affects one in every three million children.
Professor Stephen Marks, a pediatric kidney specialist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, said Aditi’s underlying immune condition initially meant she “would not be able to undergo a kidney transplant”.
But thanks to working with international colleagues, the kidney transplant, immunology and stem cell teams at Great Ormond Street Hospital were able to develop a treatment plan.
Professor Marks added: “It was necessary to treat her immunodeficiency by obtaining her mother’s bone marrow first, and because Aditi was able to accept her mother’s bone marrow, this means that her body will consider her mother’s kidney as part of it.” “A month after the transplant, we were able to remove all of her immunosuppressants, meaning she would no longer suffer from the side effects of the medications.”
Last year, Aditi, who loves to play and have fun, spent most of her time in the hospital receiving dialysis treatment, which is a treatment that removes waste and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys stop working well. She is now able to swim, sing, dance and jump on a trampoline.
Her mother, Divya, expressed her gratitude, saying: “I am happy that I was able to donate blood cells and kidneys to her, and this makes me very proud.”
“My mother gave me new blood cells and the kidney transplant was done when I went into the room and closed my eyes,” Aditi said. “I’ve gotten over this now, and I can go swimming.”
2023-09-23 17:46:00
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