Click to play videoMumbai: Fascinated by anything that runs on wheels or anything that rings, at first sight Bhavesh might seem like any other kid. But it's his sister he's been missing the most for the last few days. His six-year-old sister Sonali donated her bone marrow so her little brother could recover from a blood disorder called Thalassemia.
Consultant Oncologist at Jaslok Hospital, Dr Suresh H Advani says, "We did what we call HLA typing. It matched 100 per cent."
The Bajaj family's fight against the disorder began three months after Bhavesh was born.
He was diagnosed as being Thalassemia major, which meant his body was unable to produce enough red blood cells and would require blood transfusion every three weeks or so for his entire life. A bone marrow transplant (BMT) is the only cure for children like Bhavesh, which was done after his own bone marrow was completely destroyed through chemotherapy.
Dr Advani says, "We collected the bone marrow from his sister and intravenously gave it to him. In a month, the red blood cells began to multiply."
In the absence of BMT the child runs the risk of growth failure, even cardiac failure and contracting infections like hepatitis due to the continuous transfusions.
Over 10,000 children are born with Thalassemia in India every year. With only 10 centers across the country performing BMT and the bleak chances of finding a match, the transplant becomes very difficult.
In Bhavesh's case, his real test will be in April next year when doctors will check conclusively whether he has been cured and if he will indeed not require any blood transfusions henceforth. Till then he lives on candies and lots of hope.
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