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ShareMumbai: Baby Sharon Louis has had more than her share of problems during her barely three-year existence in this world. But thanks to medical technology and the generosity of some good Samaritans from the city, Sharon has won her fight for survival against all odds.
Born with spinal tuberculosis, Sharon could hardly get up or move. She was severely malnourished, weighing just 5kg at the age of two. "Her spine was curved at an angle of 70 degrees," said Dr Tushar Agrawal, paediatric orthopaedist and spine surgeon at Bombay Hospital. "It was also very risky to operate upon her as she was very small --she had not grown as per her age. Giving her anaesthesia itself was a major risk."
But a team of doctors at the hospital, including anaesthetist Dr JT Mesheri and paediatrician Dr Prem Sheth, decided to go ahead and operate nevertheless. "She was in severe pain," Dr Agrawal said. "And it was a question of saving her life."
In a seven-hour operation performed in November 2008, the surgeons drained the abcess of tuberculosis and removed the damaged bone from her spine. They then inserted pedicle screws on the healthy bones below and above the damaged area, to support the spine.
"The screws we have used on the patient are cervical spine screws, generally used in adults during surgery in the neck area," Dr Agrawal said. "Since this deformity is rare among children, we did not have screws that could be used on someone so tiny."
Earlier, surgeons would wait for the patient to grow until the age of 10 or more before operating on them. Also, metal rods and wires, plaster, and jackets were used, which increased the chances of failure, said the surgeon.
But after this surgery, the curvature of Sharon's spine has reduced to just 15 degrees. "She will be able to walk on her own in the next six months," Dr Agrawal said.
Steven Agnello Louis, Sharon's father, can hardly believe that his baby girl will grow up to be normal. "My wife died during childbirth, delivering triplets," he said. "We lost one of the babies too. Sharon and her sister Cynthia have similar features, but the similarity ends there. While Cynthia is tall, strong, and has learnt to walk, Sharon is yet to stand without support."
Louis works as a housekeeper in Vasai and has two more children, Stella, 13, and Susan, 6. "I could barely afford to make ends meet," he said. "Doctors had said the surgery would cost over Rs2 lakh."
Fortunately, Sister Indira Alwares, nurse in charge of the outpatient department at Bombay Hospital, found a sponsor in JPMorgan, the investment bank.
