Woman Who Received Five-Organ Transplants Gives Birth In Same Hospital
A woman who received five-organ transplants in 2007 delivers healthy baby girl in the same Miami hospital.
The medical community is fairly certain Fatema Al Ansari, 26, is the first 5-organ transplant patient to successfully give birth. In 2007, she received a new stomach, liver, pancreas, small and large intestines at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. On Feb. 26, the new mother gave birth to Alkadi Alhayal weighing four pounds and seven ounces.
According to the latest figures available from the Intestinal Transplant Association, just over 600 five-organ transplants have been recorded as of 2011.
Dr. Shalih Y. Yasin, Al Ansari's obstetrician, has been hard pressed to find a related case in any part of the world. "We have searched all medical literature all over the world for any pregnancy that had five multi-transplants and this is the first case to our knowledge," said the doctor with the University of Miami Health System.
This incredible story began with a tragedy that shook both Al Ansari and her husband Khalifa Alhayal. The residents of Qatar came to the United States in 2007 to undergo treatment for a rare blood clot in a major vein to her intestines. At this time she was already two months pregnant and was forced to terminate the pregnancy in order for the procedure to take.
With the emotional support of her husband, the couple's prayers were answered through in vitro fertilization. However, their fight for parenthood did not come to an end after she became pregnant. "It's not an easy pregnancy to go through," Yasin said. "One has to make sure the transplant organ is not rejected, that the medications are safe to the baby."
The pregnancy was considered high-risk and was monitored in its entirety by her transplant team and the gynecologists in Miami. The growing baby did account for some minor complications that included some bleeding, physical discomfort and the flu.
Medical professionals praise the mother and her child as a beacon of hope for other multi-transplant patients. They even say she is now healthy enough for another child if desired.
What does the mother have to say about her miraculous medical case? As expected, words were unable to capture her joy.
Through her interpreter, Al Ansari said "It's a hard feeling to express. It's the best feeling in the world."