Agalya, 11, and Tushitha, 17, have undergone surgical procedures that dramatically improved their quality of life. Agalya was diagnosed with a heart condition at the age of three. Her parents Devi and Meenakshi Sundaram, who live in Nagercoil, took her to a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. She lived a severely compromised life until a few months ago, when she suffered bouts of bleeding through the mouth.
She was then referred to chairman, cardiac sciences and director of heart and lung transplant and mechanical circulatory support of MGM Hospital, K.R.Balakrishnan.
Tushitha will now be able to return to school. The commerce stream student has been suffering from breathlessness since she was 30 months old. A resident of OMR, she was referred to Dr. Balakrishnan as she had symptoms suggestive of heart failure.
Since both are from lower socio-economic backgrounds, the families did not have the money for a heart transplant. Aishwarya Trust supported them financially. The transplant surgeries, each costing ₹15 lakh were done during November/December last year.
On December 9, a compatible donor was found for Agalya in a private hospital in Coimbatore. After the transplant she was discharged on December 30, said Suresh Rao K.G., co-director of heart and lung transplant and mechanical circulatory support.
Doctors found a matching donor for Tushitha on November 26 and the heart was transported from a private hospital in a two-hour trip to MGM Healthcare. She was discharged on December 20 and is doing well.
