Aunt's Courageous Donation Enables Successful Liver Transplant For UAE's Youngest Infant

For Yahya and Zainab Al Yassi, this year’s World Organ Donation Day holds profound significance. Their infant son, Baby Ahmed Yahya, was diagnosed with a rare genetic liver condition. At just five months old and weighing 4.4 kilograms, he became the youngest in the UAE to undergo a successful liver transplant. This was possible thanks to a courageous family member and skilled professionals at Burjeel Medical City (BMC).

The birth of Ahmed, their fifth child, brought joy after losing another son to liver disease in 2010. When Ahmed's liver enzyme levels rose shortly after birth, it raised alarm. Initially expected to stabilise, his condition worsened rapidly. Doctors at BMC diagnosed him with an ATP6AP1-related congenital disorder of glycosylation, a very rare genetic disorder with fewer than 25 known cases globally.

Dr. Johns Shaji Mathew from BMC explained the severity of Ahmed's condition: "This disease is a severe, multisystem condition that particularly affects the liver. In Ahmed’s case, the disorder was progressing rapidly toward liver failure. Given the rarity of the condition, there were no clear answers, only tough questions. Yet we had to act." The urgency for a liver transplant led the family to seek a living donor.

Ahmed's aunt stepped forward as a living donor match. She had never considered organ donation before but researched extensively and decided to help save her nephew's life. "I read everything I could find. I realized that donating part of my liver could save his life, and I knew I had to do it," she said.

The transplant took place on April 4, 2025, marking one of the most challenging pediatric surgeries in the region. Dr. Gourab Sen led the team in preparing a mono-segment graft from the donor’s liver for Ahmed's small abdomen. Pediatric anesthesia was managed by Drs. Ramamurthy Baskaran, George Jacob, and Anshu S., while Dr. Kesava Ramakrishnan oversaw perioperative care in the PICU.

Dr. Gourab described the surgery: "This was a precision operation that lasted 12 hours... In an infant this tiny... each vessel was thinner than a matchstick... It is not just a surgical procedure; it is micromillimeter craftsmanship performed under extreme pressure..." Despite high risks and Ahmed’s fragile state, the surgery succeeded.

Post-Surgery Recovery and Support

Ahmed recovered well post-surgery; he was extubated soon after and began feeding within days with excellent liver function results. His recovery involved support from pediatric intensivists, gastroenterologists, dietitians, radiologists, and rehabilitation experts at BMC.

This case stands out due to Ahmed's age and weight combined with his rare genetic diagnosis and global scarcity of similar successful transplants. He now joins few survivors worldwide who have overcome this ultra-rare condition through transplantation.

A Family’s Journey of Hope

Yahya expressed gratitude: "My baby’s recovery is nothing short of a miracle... We were once a family living in fear... today we are celebrating a second chance at life." As World Organ Donation Day is observed globally, Yahya hopes their story inspires others to consider becoming donors.

The HAYAT National Program encourages public awareness about related living organ donation where healthy individuals donate organs to family members in need—shortening waiting times and transforming lives significantly.

With inputs from WAM