UK First: Eight-Year-Old Ditches Lifelong Drugs After Groundbreaking Transplant
In a world-first medical miracle, eight-year-old Aditi Shankar has become the first person in the UK to stop taking lifelong immunosuppressant drugs after a double transplant. Battling a rare genetic disorder, Aditi received both a new kidney and bone marrow from her mum, Divya – and it’s changing everything.
Double Transplant Breaks Medical Barriers
The secret? A stem cell transplant using bone marrow alongside the kidney. Just one month post-surgery, Aditi waved goodbye to immunosuppressant meds – usually a lifelong burden for transplant patients.
Doctors at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) pioneered this breakthrough. By accepting her mum’s bone marrow first, Aditi’s body now treats the donated kidney as its own. This could revolutionise how transplants are done worldwide.
Why Ditching Immunosuppressants Is Huge
- Immunosuppressants stop organ rejection but cripple the immune system.
- Side effects leave patients vulnerable to infections and other nasty complications.
- Aditi’s drug-free status means a healthier, risk-free life post-transplant.
From Dialysis to Dancing: Aditi’s New Lease on Life
Aditi’s fight started at five when she was diagnosed with Schimke’s immuno-osseous dysplasia, an ultra-rare condition hitting just one in three million UK children. At GOSH, top specialists crafted a unique plan involving renal, immunology, and stem cell transplant teams.
“Her immune deficiency had to be corrected by having her mum’s bone marrow first,” explained Professor Stephen Marks, children’s kidney specialist. “Because Aditi accepted her mum’s bone marrow, her body then accepted her mum’s kidney as its own. A month after the transplant, we took her off all immunosuppression – no drug side effects!”
Last year, Aditi endured gruelling dialysis sessions. Now, she’s a whirlwind of energy – swimming, singing, dancing, and bouncing on trampolines. A medical triumph that’s given this little fighter her childhood back.
