Hong Kong received its second organ donation from the Chinese mainland late on Sunday thanks to the cross-border collaboration mechanism established in 2022, saving the life of an eight-month-old girl who has been waited for suitable heart transplant for over four months.
The recipient, identified only as Whitney, underwent the 6.5-hour surgery at the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital (HKCH) on Sunday evening and is currently under close observation in the intensive care unit. She is likely to remain in critical condition for the next 24 hours.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Monday thanked the central government and mainland authorities for facilitating the heart transplant. This marks the second cross-border organ donation between Hong Kong and the mainland. The first took place in December 2022, when a four-month-old Hong Kong girl named Tsz-hei received a heart from a brain-dead donor in the mainland.
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Whitney suffered cardiogenic shock on Sept 14, and has been in critical condition since. Her case has been on the local heart transplant waiting list for over four months, but due to the rarity of donors who meet the donation criteria, a suitable heart for transplantation had not yet been found.
Simon Tang, director of cluster services at the Hospital Authority, explained that Whitney was allocated the donor heart after it was confirmed that no suitable recipients were available in the mainland. He emphasized that the operation adhered to stringent regulatory approvals and legal protocols in both regions.
Nicholson Yam, the lead consultant for the transplant at HKCH, noted that the heart was procured in the mainland by experts from the National Quality Control Centre for Health Transplantation in Beijing and was swiftly transported to Hong Kong.
The speedy delivery involved over 100 personnel from 18 mainland agencies, including the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Centre for the China Organ Transplant Response System.
Hong Kong Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau underscored the importance of this operation, highlighting the enhanced cooperation between Hong Kong and mainland authorities. “This successful case exemplifies the strengthened collaboration in cross-border organ transplants,” he stated.
Whitney’s parents expressed their profound gratitude to the mainland authorities, the HKSAR government, and the dedicated medical teams from both sides for their relentless efforts. They also conveyed their heartfelt thanks to the donor’s family for their selfless decision during a time of sorrow, which has provided Whitney with a new lease on life.
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The Health Bureau and the Hospital Authority joined in expressing their appreciation to the donor’s family for their altruism and extended their best wishes for Whitney’s swift recovery.
