Afghan toddler undergoes rare bone marrow transplant 

A two-and-a-half-year-old Afghan girl has become the youngest child to undergo a successful bone marrow transplant for acute myeloid leukemia, in Kerala, India. 

The girl, Kulsum, was diagnosed with congenital acute myeloid leukemia and had been through four cycles of chemotherapy in Dubai before undergoing the transplant. 

According to Gulf Today, Kulsum’s parents, who live in Dubai, found out the surgery was available at the Aster MIMS Hospital in Kerala and arranged for her to undergo the treatment. 

On arrival at the hospital in Kerala, Kulsum had an intensive session of chemotherapy, and then she underwent a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (bone marrow transplant), a hospital doctor, Azad Moopen, said. 

Kulsum’s father, Mohammed donated stem cells to his daughter.

Moopen said, “It is common for foreigners to seek medical treatment in Kerala. However in this case despite such complex circumstances, it is an outstanding example of the fact that Kerala’s healthcare has gained global attention.”

Doctors have meanwhile said that Kulsum is on the way to a speedy recovery after her bone marrow transplant.