Grandpa Dong, do you remember me? You operated on me, and you hugged me when I was a child. ”
In the outpatient clinic of Academician Dong Jiahong, President of Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital affiliated to Tsinghua University, Chenchen (pseudonym), a 5-year-old girl in a beautiful little dress, took a group photo after the operation, pointed to the photo and said: "Look, this is Grandpa Dong; This was me, and I was very young at the time. "I'll see, oh, this chubby little guy is you." This heartwarming scene made the people around him laugh.
Four years ago, when Xiao Chenchen was only two months old, his skin and eyes were yellow, and his jaundice did not subside. After examination, it was confirmed that Xiao Chenchen suffered from congenital biliary atresia. Before the flower of life fully blooms, it is facing a severe test of life and death.
Biliary atresia (BA) is one of the most serious hepatobiliary diseases in the neonatal period, biliary atresia is a fibroblastic bile duct lesion with idiopathic, progressive, necrotizing inflammation, which in turn leads to cholestasis, hepatosplenomegaly, ascites, and rapidly develops into cirrhosis, portal hypertension and even liver failure.
Children with biliary atresia have a very typical feature, that is, yellow staining of the skin all over the body, so they are called "minions"; Without timely intervention, Minions usually die around 1 year of age. Pediatric liver transplantation is currently the only effective treatment for the development of biliary atresia to the end-stage, and it is also the most important indication for pediatric liver transplantation, accounting for about 60%-70% of all applicable cases.
After the diagnosis, Chenchen's parents sought medical advice and surgery for her locally. However, bad luck did not spare this young life. Less than half a year after the operation, Chenchen's condition took a sharp turn for the worse, with symptoms such as ascites and umbilical hernia one after another, and the haze of liver cirrhosis shrouded this fragile family. Faced with high medical bills and the family's financial hardship, Chenchen's parents almost fell into despair.
When Chenchen's parents were desperate, the "Shuimu Xinsheng· Bitter Liver" project at Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital gave them a glimpse of light and hope. After learning that the program has a free policy for children's parent liver transplantation, Chenchen's parents took her on a journey to Beijing, eager to sow a seed of life for Chenchen through liver transplantation and harvest the hope of life in the future.
On May 6, 2020, the China Charity Federation and Dong Jiahong and other 7 academicians jointly launched the "Liver Suffering" medical assistance project for children with end-stage liver disease, aiming to provide free treatment for children with end-stage liver disease who need liver transplantation. In 2021, Beijing Tsinghua Chang Gung Hospital and Tsinghua University Education Development Foundation jointly launched the "Social Welfare Project - Organ Transplant Fund" project, and by 2023, 37 children have been treated and reborn.
Under the professional guidance of Lu Qian, director of the Organ Transplant Center, Chenchen quickly received a comprehensive inpatient evaluation. Although Xiao Chenchen has been facing a huge risk of infection, Director Lu and her team have effectively controlled the infection and avoided the occurrence of sepsis by organizing multidisciplinary consultations and adjusting the treatment plan in a timely manner.
After a comprehensive evaluation by the transplant team, Chenchen's mother was finally determined to be the best liver donor. However, Chenchen's mother had just given birth and had moderate fatty liver, which undoubtedly increased the risk of surgery. But for the sake of her daughter, she showed amazing perseverance and began a hard workout. During the epidemic, the corridor of the ward became her runway, and she successfully lost 17 pounds in a month, meeting the standard of liver donation.
Under the leadership of Academician Dong and Director Lu Qian, the liver transplant team and the anesthesia surgery team worked together, and Xiao Chenchen's liver transplantation was a great success. Under the careful care of medical staff, Chenchen recovered his health.
In this year's "Shuimu Xinsheng · Moving Children's Walk" 6.1 Children's Day Public Welfare Free Clinic, Xiao Chenchen carefully prepared a special "gift", and her immature brushstrokes depicted Grandpa Dong who was dressed in white and benevolent as a doctor. Now 5 years old, Chenchen is growing up happily, lively, and healthy; With the careful care of the Tsinghua Chang Gung transplant team, she escorted her growth with responsibility and professionalism. The little flower of life will bloom in love and protection!
Source: Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, Tsinghua University