Dubai's 'miracle baby' survives 16 surgeries

Life is a miracle for the 14-month-old Ria. Born in Dubai, the little girl has already undergone 16 medical procedures, and had been put on a ventilator since birth, reports Mid-Day.
 
Ria was delivered after a complicated pregnancy and immediately after her birth, the obstetricians at the Dubai Hospital detected abnormal breathing, and decided to keep her under observation. after medical investigations were conducted, doctors diagnosed Ria was suffering from a congenital defect, known as Tracheo-Esophageal Fistula or TEF, the daily revealed. A rare condition, this is known to affect one in every 8,000 babies.

Ria was soon moved to the Al Wasal Hospital, where critical surgeries were performed. However, despite the success of the first surgery, Ria's breathing was irregular soon, and she had to be put on ventilator support. It was then that experts diagnosed that Ria was suffering from another congenital anomaly, Laryngo-Tracheo- Oesophageal Cleft Type 2 (LTEC-2). This condition afflicts one in every 20,000 infants.

LTEC-2 being a rare genetic disorder, doctors in Dubai advised the couple to relocate to another country for further treatment. Ria was flown down to Mumbai from Dubai, on ventilator support.

After a series of surgeries, Ria entered her own home for the first time when she was one year and two months old. "She is put on ventilator for only three hours each day. Soon she will be able to breath independently. I always knew she would make it. My faith has paid off," Ria's mother Delna told the daily. Delna plans to start a foundation to help similar patients.

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