The Hospital Authority has issued an urgent appeal for a heart transplant for six-month-old baby Rufus, who is in critical condition at Hong Kong Children's Hospital's Paediatric Intensive Care Unit with dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure.
Rufus is currently dependent on a left ventricular assist device, a ventilator and inotropic drugs. A heart transplant is the only option to save his life. Without one, he faces life-threatening complications including stroke, bleeding, infection and thrombosis.
He has been placed on the local heart transplant waiting list and is the first priority for patients of his body size.
Rufus developed poor appetite and slow growth at four months old. On June 11, he was diagnosed with a serious heart condition after seeking treatment for shortness of breath and was transferred to Hong Kong Children's Hospital the same day. He has been on a ventilator since admission, received CPR for slow heartbeat and low blood pressure, and underwent surgery to install a left ventricular assist device on June 29.
A suitable donor must weigh between 6.5kg and 23kg. Blood type is not restricted.
The HA is actively searching for a suitable heart locally and will seek assistance from the Chinese mainland through cross-boundary mechanisms. When a donor passes away and no suitable patient is identified on the mainland, the mechanism will facilitate a transplant in Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, 13-year-old Ching Ching, whose parents made public appeals earlier, remains in critical condition and is still waiting for a heart and lung donation.
