Bravehearts of the Foundation: Kokila

Born with a birth weight of 2 kilograms, this three days old Baby of Kokila is the only child and apple of the eyes of Kokila S and Senthilkumar who reside in Karur, Tamil Nadu. He only just entered this world when he showed the signs of cyanosis and breathing difficulty. The baby was born at Trichy Medical College. His saturation was also low.  The parents were referred to GKNM Hospital for further management. The baby was transported to a Government ambulance. On arrival, he was admitted in ICU. An echo was conducted and the baby was diagnosed with Transposition of Great Arteries (TGA).  In TGA, the two main blood vessels of the body originate from the wrong chambers of the heart, which leads to low saturation in the body. He required an Arterial Switch Operation in which the aorta and the pulmonary arteries are attached to the correct chambers of the heart. The parents were counselled for the surgery. Senthilkumar is a labourer and he earns a monthly income of Rs 6000. The surgery cost was too much for the family to bear, but the parents managed to arrange Rs 5000 towards it and the hospital charity always contributed a large sum however there was still support that was required so they reached out to us. The baby was operated and discharged in a stable condition.