Bravehearts of the Foundation: Sana
April 6, 2018 | Contributed by R Srivatsan
Sana, now one years old – was born on 12th September 2016 in her hometown located in Tamil Nadu. Very early on, her parents realized that their daughter was not meeting milestones with her weight gain. Both parents were naturally alarmed and took her to a local pediatrician and a shocking discovery was made – Sana was suffering from a congenital heart defect.
For further and more detailed evaluation, the family was referred to Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, in Kochi. The family made their way and upon their arrival they were welcomed by Dr Krishna Kumar, who first conducted an Echo, and confirmed the diagnosis. Sana was suffering from mixed TAPVC (unobstructed) and was advised early surgery, as this was a relatively uncommon heart disorder. In this particular case, the veins do not connect to the left atrium, instead the oxygen-rich blood is diverted to the right side of the heart through abnormal channels, proving to be fatal in over 90% of babies within the first year of life. If timely intervention is taken, the heart can be completely restored to normal. In many instances, this operation needs to be undertaken on an emergency basis, as time is of the essence for survival.
There was an additional complexity, the veins were connected to the right side via two separate channels instead of one – making the surgery even more challenging for the team at Amrita Institute, who are extremely skilled in their fields of pediatric care.
Another hurdle that the family had to cross was how to put together the funds that were required on an urgent basis to get the surety that their daughter will live. Sana’s father – Rahuma is a daily wage worker who works hard in a canteen and brings home a monthly salary of Rs 7000 (USD 108). On this salary he supports his family of four.
With the support from our biggest supporters – WPP India CSR Foundation, we instantaneously gave approval and took on the case under our financial belt of support. Sana underwent corrective surgery where normalcy was restored by connecting the pulmonary veins back to the left atrium. Children like Sana post-surgery require expert and vigilant care since it takes time for the pulmonary pressure to normalize. She made smooth recovery in the ICU and we were thankful that we were able to contribute to her recovery.