Girl without artery needs surgery
May 30, 2010
FOR about seven months, two-year-old Scarlet Nansubuga, had been undergoing malaria treatment yet she did not have the disease. Her condition would normalise after one week and again worsen.
By Chris Kiwawulo
FOR about seven months, two-year-old Scarlet Nansubuga, had been undergoing malaria treatment yet she did not have the disease. Her condition would normalise after one week and again worsen.
For all the time she was on medication at Kamwokya Family Clinic, doctors were administering malaria drugs including Coartem and would change to stronger ones every time the Nansubuga’s parents would bring her back.
“They would check for malaria and would not find it but since she had fever, they would think the malaria parasites were in infant stages and difficult to detect,†Emmanuel Nsubuga, the girl’s father says.
Then one day when Nansubuga was in critical condition and could hardly breathe, the doctors told her parents they could no longer handle her condition.
Nsubuga says he contacted Dr. Andrew Mworozi at Andrew Medical Centre on Bombo Road who, upon examining her, said the girl had a heart problem.
Mworozi also discovered Nansubuga’s blood cells had been destroyed by the malaria drugs.
He referred them to Mulago Hospital for extensive analysis of the girls heart and brain. At Mulago, it was discovered Nansubuga’s heart did not have a left pulmonary artery responsible for bringing oxygenated blood into the heart.
As a result, three holes developed on the existing blood vessel to allow blood flow into the heart.
As if that was not enough, instead of having four chambers, Nansubuga’s heart had three and the two on the left side were combined. “The doctors told me this anomaly makes it impossible for blood to mix with de-oxygenated blood thereby causing blood clots,†Nansubuga’s father says.
The clots have since affected Nansubuga’s left side of the
brain which has paralysed the left side of her body due to lack of blood supply.
Nsubuga notes that his
daughter has since been getting convulsions. Nansubuga was born with a complex cyanotic heart disease called Tetralogy of Fallot. She needs to undergo open-heart surgery to enable her lead a normal life.
Nansubuga who has become weak and stunted with reduced immunity was in April admitted to Mulago Hospital where she spent a month.
“She had started talking and walking but all that ended,†Nsubuga explains sadly. All she does now is sit or lie down helplessly on the sofa.â€
She is now on medication to stop the convulsions, increase her immunity and blood supply in the body until she gets surgery. However, the surgery cannot
be done in Uganda because the machines required are available.
The machine costs $3m (over sh6b) and if procured, the cost of open-heart surgery would reduce.
According to Dr. John Omagino, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon and director of the Uganda Heart Institute, the surgery can be done at Frontier Lifeline Hospital in India at $14,900 (about sh32m).
He says the money is for medical bills, freight and maintenance for the patient, mother and accompanying nurse but not including passport and visa fees.
Any financial assistance can be deposited on account number 0140005985901 at Stanbic Bank Wandegeya Branch in the names of Uganda Heart Institute (Scarlet Nansubuga).
FOR about seven months, two-year-old Scarlet Nansubuga, had been undergoing malaria treatment yet she did not have the disease. Her condition would normalise after one week and again worsen.
For all the time she was on medication at Kamwokya Family Clinic, doctors were administering malaria drugs including Coartem and would change to stronger ones every time the Nansubuga’s parents would bring her back.
“They would check for malaria and would not find it but since she had fever, they would think the malaria parasites were in infant stages and difficult to detect,†Emmanuel Nsubuga, the girl’s father says.
Then one day when Nansubuga was in critical condition and could hardly breathe, the doctors told her parents they could no longer handle her condition.
Nsubuga says he contacted Dr. Andrew Mworozi at Andrew Medical Centre on Bombo Road who, upon examining her, said the girl had a heart problem.
Mworozi also discovered Nansubuga’s blood cells had been destroyed by the malaria drugs.
He referred them to Mulago Hospital for extensive analysis of the girls heart and brain. At Mulago, it was discovered Nansubuga’s heart did not have a left pulmonary artery responsible for bringing oxygenated blood into the heart.
As a result, three holes developed on the existing blood vessel to allow blood flow into the heart.
As if that was not enough, instead of having four chambers, Nansubuga’s heart had three and the two on the left side were combined. “The doctors told me this anomaly makes it impossible for blood to mix with de-oxygenated blood thereby causing blood clots,†Nansubuga’s father says.
The clots have since affected Nansubuga’s left side of the
brain which has paralysed the left side of her body due to lack of blood supply.
Nsubuga notes that his
daughter has since been getting convulsions. Nansubuga was born with a complex cyanotic heart disease called Tetralogy of Fallot. She needs to undergo open-heart surgery to enable her lead a normal life.
Nansubuga who has become weak and stunted with reduced immunity was in April admitted to Mulago Hospital where she spent a month.
“She had started talking and walking but all that ended,†Nsubuga explains sadly. All she does now is sit or lie down helplessly on the sofa.â€
She is now on medication to stop the convulsions, increase her immunity and blood supply in the body until she gets surgery. However, the surgery cannot
be done in Uganda because the machines required are available.
The machine costs $3m (over sh6b) and if procured, the cost of open-heart surgery would reduce.
According to Dr. John Omagino, a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon and director of the Uganda Heart Institute, the surgery can be done at Frontier Lifeline Hospital in India at $14,900 (about sh32m).
He says the money is for medical bills, freight and maintenance for the patient, mother and accompanying nurse but not including passport and visa fees.
Any financial assistance can be deposited on account number 0140005985901 at Stanbic Bank Wandegeya Branch in the names of Uganda Heart Institute (Scarlet Nansubuga).