A Journey from Blue to Pink

Dr SR Mohanty

The author is Junior Consultant, Department ofCardio-thoracic Vascular Surgery. Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Bangalore

How does it feel to be a proud mother after nine long months of pregnancy? How does it feel when the newborn smiles back at you spontaneously? But what if the child's lips turn blue? What if the doctor tells you that your little baby has a complex heart disease that will need corrective surgery at the earliest - at a price over Rs 300,000 [6,380 US dollars] and with over 50 per cent risk to life?

That's exactly what happened to Mrs Mohan Das, a labourer by profession. This was the scene she had to face, barely two days after the birth of the child. Having lost hope, she decided to accept her fate. Then came the news of a charitable institution at Bangalore, founded by Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba offering services in free of cost. She made the journey to Bangalore.

Her 18-day-old baby weighing just three kilos was diagnosed as having d-transposition of Great Arteries, Intact Ventricular Septum, Patent Foramen Ovae, Patent Ductus Arteriosus, Type II Coronary pattern and well preserved left ventricular function. The baby was scheduled for Arterial Switch Operation, considered as one of the most complicated types in the practice of neonatal cardiac surgery.

Post operatively the baby was nursed on Infant Warmer with mechanical ventilation and inotropic support. Gradually she was weaned off ventilator support and was extubated after 72 hours. The inotropes were slowly tapered and the baby made an uneventful recovery. The parents were impressed with the humaneness of the team involved in treating their child. They had no words to express their gratitude. On the way back home with the baby in their arm and with a smile on her pink lips, believed that their little one had received a second life by the grace of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.