It has been a long journey for siblings Mohammed Sabah Sulaiman (16) and Safaa Sabah Sulaiman (13), from their hometown of Erbil in Iraq. Suffering from a possible fatal heart condition, they were on a search for a new lease of life and landed in the city a few months back. On Wednesday, the brother-sister duo posed happily for cameras after successful heart transplant at Fortis Malar Hospital.
The school going duo found their lives turned upside down when Mohammad complained of vomiting and breathlessness. After relatives and acquaintances suggested the family to make the trip to India, he was admitted at Fortis hospital. He was diagnosed of having dilated cardiomyopathy – an inability of the heart to pump blood effectively due to weakening dilated ventricles.
Subsequently, his sister Safaa also developed the same problem, which necessitated heart transplant procedure. She was admitted to the hospital in July. They both were put on a temporary LVAD, an external assistive device for patients who have reached end-stage heart failure. Kept on the waitlist for receiving organ under the state organ transplant programme, they were fortunate to have donors.
K R Balakrishnan, Director, Cardiac Sciences, Fortis, said the ailment of the siblings was carried on by genes. “It is very much possible to detect such cases, which can ensure young patients are properly treated,” he added. Having recovered from post operative complications, the children are now all set to return to Ebril and continue their schooling, which Mohammad had missed for two years and Safaa one year