Hyderabad: In a touching act of sibling love ahead of Raksha Bandhan, a 10-year-old girl from Warangal has donated her stem cells to save her 11-year-old brother’s life. The boy was battling severe aplastic anaemia, a rare and potentially fatal blood disorder.
The life-saving procedure took place at KIMS Cuddles Hospital in Kondapur, where the boy was admitted with a high fever and dangerously low blood counts. Following a thorough diagnosis, doctors confirmed that his bone marrow had stopped producing essential blood cells—a condition that affects fewer than 7 in one million children.
Dr. Chandana Mareddy, Consultant Paediatric Haematologist and Bone Marrow Transplant Specialist, explained that a stem cell transplant was the only viable treatment. The team urged the family to find a donor, and the boy’s younger sister immediately volunteered. “Without hesitation, she said she would do anything to save her brother,” Dr. Chandana said.
Despite being only a half genetic match, the transplant was successful. Recovery after such procedures usually takes weeks, with high infection risk and strong medications. But the boy responded remarkably well and was discharged within three weeks.
Dr. Chandana praised the boy’s courage, saying, “Even at his lowest, he was talking about going back to school and playing again.” Despite the risks of complications, the young patient pulled through without major side effects.
This extraordinary story of courage, sibling love, and medical excellence highlights both the strength of family bonds and the promise of modern healthcare. The boy is now on the road to full recovery.
