WHAT DINA THINKS: Emirati baby's life saved thanks to bone marrow transplant

In a remarkable display of medical prowess and familial love, doctors in Abu Dhabi recently achieved a groundbreaking feat: they successfully performed life-saving surgery on three-month-old Baby Fatima, who was diagnosed with Krabbe disease, a rare genetic condition that attacks brain cells.

This significant milestone marks the first instance of treating Krabbe disease in the United Arab Emirates, as reported by officials from the Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre (ADSCC).

No time to spare

The transplant needed to happen as soon as possible and especially before Fatima turned three months old, as the disease is generally said to be fatal in younger patients but its progression can be stalled if caught in time.

"The maternal grandmother was in her third trimester, so we collaborated with Corniche Hospital to deliver the baby at 37 weeks of pregnancy via C-section," said Dr Mansi Sachdev, consultant pediatric hematologist.

"The bone marrow collection happened at the same time of delivery.

"Corniche hospital doctors delivered the baby and then our ADSCC doctors extracted the bone marrow immediately after in the same operating theatre and under the same anesthesia."

Fatima's grandmother, who asked not to be named, underwent the bone marrow transplant on the same day as giving birth and said the latter was more painful.

“I barely felt it when they extracted the bone marrow," she said.

"It felt so great to be able to help both my daughter and my granddaughter at the same time and, above all that, I had a newborn baby in my arms.

"It was a day of blessings.”

Fatima's mother, who also asked not to be named, said the family was initially resigned to having no choice but to travel abroad until the ADSCC stepped in.

“We all weren’t keen on travelling for treatment but were going to if it was a necessity," she said.

"I’m grateful that the treatment was available here in the UAE at ADSCC."

Dr Sachdev said the entire experience was an amazing journey for everyone involved.

“From the moment they came to finding the donor and then up to the actual transplant," she said.

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