The Hospital Authority recently announced that a 3-month-old baby girl named Whitney is in desperate need of a heart transplant. Whitney has been diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that has caused her heart chamber to enlarge, making it difficult for her heart to pump blood effectively.
Currently, Whitney is in critical condition at the paediatric intensive care unit of the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital in Kowloon Bay. She is relying on a ventilator machine to support her breathing as she waits for a suitable donor heart. Whitney is at the top of the heart transplant waiting list for patients within a specific weight range of 6kg to 18kg.
The Hospital Authority has made a public appeal for organ donations, encouraging people to consider donating the organs of deceased relatives to save lives like Whitney’s. While they are specifically looking for donors with blood type B+ or O+, they have mentioned that other blood types may also be suitable for the transplant.
In a statement, a spokesperson mentioned that they will also be reaching out to the mainland for assistance in finding a suitable donor for Whitney. The cross-boundary organ donation and matching mechanism will be activated to facilitate a transplant in Hong Kong if a suitable donor is not found locally.
The story of baby Whitney highlights the importance of organ donation and the impact it can have on saving lives. It serves as a reminder of the urgent need for more people to register as organ donors and discuss their wishes with their families.
If you are interested in becoming an organ donor, you can visit the Hospital Authority’s website for more information on how to register. Your decision to donate could give hope to someone like Whitney and make a life-saving difference in the future. Let’s come together as a community to support those in need of organ transplants and give them a second chance at life.