In a heartwarming story out of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), an 8-year-old Pakistani girl heroically donated her bone marrow to save her newborn sister.
9 months old Afeefa suffered from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a kind of blood and bone marrow cancer, requiring a bone marrow transplant to survive.
The medical team at Burjeel Medical City in Ajman, led by Dr. Zainul Aabideen, conducted Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typing of Afeefa’s family and found that her 8-year-old sister, Nazia Zahra, was a perfect match. Nazia donated her bone marrow to her sister on 1 December 2022.
The procedure was a success. However, Afeefa experienced complications like seizures and infections in the days following the procedure, but the medical team successfully managed them, and Afeefa’s health improved steadily.
The parents expressed relief and gratitude, saying that they now feel like a huge struggle has ended after months of suffering and pain.
The family will continue to follow up with the medical team at Burjeel to ensure Afeefa’s continued health.
Via Khaleej Times
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