Hong Kong health authorities made an urgent appeal on Tuesday evening for a heart transplant for a six-month-old boy in critical condition and said they will seek assistance from mainland China.
A Hospital Authority spokesman said six-month-old Rufus, who suffers from dilated cardiomyopathy, is in the paediatric intensive care unit at Hong Kong Children’s Hospital.
Rufus weighs 7.8kg and has type O blood. He has shown poor appetite and slow growth since he was four months old. His parents took him to a private doctor for shortness of breath on June 11, which led to the discovery of serious heart problems and immediate admission.
Rufus has suffered heart failure and is using a left ventricular assist device to support his circulatory function. The spokesman said that in addition to searching locally, the Hospital Authority will seek assistance from the Chinese mainland through relevant procedures as soon as possible.