Indore Couple's IVF 'Saviour Sibling' Successfully Cures Daughter's Thalassemia Major
In a remarkable medical breakthrough from Indore, hope was literally engineered in a laboratory dish. Manish and Sneha Patel, residents of the city, made a deliberate and precise choice to expand their family through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) with a singular, life-saving purpose: to cure their firstborn daughter.
A Sister Conceived to Save a Sister
Their younger daughter, Yuvika, now three years old, was conceived as a "saviour sibling"—a child born genetically healthy and a perfect match to donate bone marrow. This donation has now successfully freed her elder sister, Kaira, from the debilitating blood disorder Thalassemia Major. "The primary objective was always to save Kaira and grant her a healthy life through her sibling. For this mission, IVF technology became our rescuer," explained Manish Patel, who works as an IT professional.
Eight Years of Medical Struggle
For eight long years, Kaira's childhood was dictated by a relentless and harsh medical schedule. Diagnosed at just three months old, her body was incapable of producing sufficient haemoglobin. This necessitated blood transfusions every three to four weeks. While a bone marrow transplant offered a potential permanent cure, finding a compatible donor proved impossible. No matches were available within the family or donor registries.
The Pandemic-Era Medical Marathon
The turning point arrived during the pandemic year. In November 2020, the Patels consulted with renowned fertility specialist Dr. Kalyani Shrimali. What followed was an intensive, two-year medical journey. The meticulously planned procedure involved:
- Creating multiple embryos through IVF.
- Utilizing Pre-implantation Genetic Testing for Monogenic disorders (PGT-M) to screen out embryos carrying severe thalassemia.
- Selecting an embryo that was a full Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) match for Kaira—a legal and strictly regulated process in India.
From June 2021 to January 2022, the family underwent three IVF cycles. "Out of the 11 embryos we created, only one was completely free from thalassemia and presented a 100% genetic match for Kaira," Dr. Shrimali revealed after the successful PGT-M screening.
Birth, Wait, and the Life-Saving Transplant
Yuvika was born healthy in August 2023. Doctors then entered a period of careful monitoring, tracking her growth and weight. Subsequent HLA typing confirmed a perfect 10/10 match. Finally, in May 2025, surgeons at a leading hospital in Bengaluru performed the critical bone marrow transplant. Post-operation, both children are now at home, currently in isolation as a precaution, and are reported to be doing exceptionally well. Most significantly, Kaira no longer requires any blood transfusions.
Ethical Framework and Parental Relief
Dr. Shrimali emphasized the ethical rigor of the procedure: "The entire process was executed only after detailed counselling sessions, a thorough ethical review by the appropriate board, and with the fully informed consent of the parents." For Manish and Sneha Patel, the emotional transformation has been profound. "We lived for years under a cloud of constant fear and anxiety," Manish shared. "Witnessing Kaira's recovery and her chance to finally experience a normal childhood feels nothing less than a divine miracle."
A Wider Public Health Warning
This scientific triumph carries a crucial public health message for India. Medical experts estimate that between 10,000 to 15,000 children are born with Thalassemia Major in the country each year. Doctors are urgently advocating for widespread carrier screening, which includes tests like Hb electrophoresis, for all couples who are planning a pregnancy. This proactive step can help identify carriers and prevent the birth of children with this severe genetic disorder.
