MUMBAI (India CSR): Two month old, Sakshi (name changed) had a hole in her heart called the Aorta Pulmonary Window. With extreme respiratory distress, the child would not have survived infancy if she had not received timely treatment, with financial support from SBI Foundation, through Genesis Foundation. Weighing just 2.9 kilograms, Sakshi is one of the smallest children in India to undergo device closure of Aorta Pulmonary Window.
She is the only child of Sahira (name changed) and Suhail (named changed) from Thane in Maharashtra. A few weeks after her birth, Sakshi had breathlessness and had problems in taking feed. She was diagnosed with a complex congenital heart defect called Aorta Pulmonary Window (AP Window). It occurs in 0.1% of all children born with heart defects.
In a normal heart, there are two main arteries, the aorta and the pulmonary artery, where the aorta carries blood to the body and the pulmonary carries blood to the lungs. In an AP Window, there is a hole between these arteries, which leads to an increased flow of blood to the lungs, thereby increasing the lung pressure. Children with AP Window require immediate intervention, otherwise they do not survive infancy and die due to heart failure.
Dr L Srinivas, the pediatric cardiologist at Jupiter Hospital, Thane did her device closure in the Cath Lab. Her father is a labourer (loader) earning a very humble salary. With no money for treatment, her surgery was funded by SBI Foundation in coordination with Genesis Foundation.
At two months with a weight of 2.9 kilograms, Sahira is one of the 25+ children that SBI Foundation is supporting in partnership with Genesis Foundation. In most of the cases where children are born with simple heart defects, one-time medical intervention ensures that they are treated for life and can lead a normal life.
“We are proud of how the medical infrastructure and capacity in our country is advancing, that such complex treatment procedures can be performed on infants. Through our partnership with Genesis Foundation and Jupiter Hospital, we are happy we could provide timely financial support for Sahira’s treatment and we look forward for her bright future.”
-Shri Lalit Mohan, President & COO, SBI Foundation
“It is only through support of CSR partners like SBI Foundation that we are able to Save Little Hearts, one child at a time. Their belief in the transparency of our work, ensures that children like Sahira who would not have survived even their infancy, are able to live a healthy and fulfilling life.”
– Simran Sagar, Operations Director, Genesis Foundation
“I am extremely thankful to Genesis Foundation and SBI Foundation for the timely financial help that was provided to the family because without it, Samiksha would not have survived. With one medical intervention done at the right time, she can lead a normal life now.”
– Dr L Srinivas, Pediatric Cardiologist, Jupiter Hospital, Pune
(India CSR)
