9-month-old set to leave hospital after successful liver transplant

Thiruvananthapuram: An annoyed and confused Aliya Fathima registers her protest with a bawl. Little does the nine-month-old infant know that those smiling at her are well-wishers.
The baby, who underwent a successful liver transplant, is set to leave the hospital. Among those who visited her was high court judge Justice C K Abdul Rahim and the liver donor, Sreerenjini.Justice Rahim was instrumental in facilitating the girl's transplant surgery at KIMS Hospital here.
A habeas corpus her father had filed, saying her mother was not providing proper treatment to the girl with genetic liver cirrhosis, brought the infant's condition to the attention of a division bench.
The bench, comprising justices Rahim and Shaji P Chaly, took the initiative to provide proper treatment to little Aliya. And her story became news. For Justice Rahim, who came down from Kochi to visit the recuperating child, the case was a memorable one in his career. "The members of the division bench had a special interest in this case and they always kept in touch with Aliya's doctors," he said.
"Aliya's health was awful when I first saw her. They couldn't believe when I expressed my willingness to be a donor, and the hospital authorities were ready for a transplant," said Sreerenjiniwho volunteered to donate the liver. "The low weight of the child (6.14 kg) was the biggest challenge while performing the 18-hour surgery," said Dr Venugopal who headed the surgery.
Aliya is expected to leave the hospital on Thursday.