A seven-month-old infant from Trinidad and Tobago, weighing less than four kilograms and afflicted with a rare genetic liver condition, has successfully undergone a life-saving liver transplant in Delhi. The baby, named Erik Ramsook, was admitted to Apollo Hospital after developing severe liver disease shortly after birth. Medical professionals diagnosed him with end-stage liver failure, severe malnutrition, fluid accumulation in the abdomen, and other complications associated with advanced liver disease.
Family Roots in Uttar Pradesh
The case attracted additional attention because Erik's family traces its ancestry to the present-day Balrampur district of Uttar Pradesh, India. More than 175 years after an ancestor migrated from India to the Caribbean, the family returned to Delhi seeking treatment for the critically ill child.
Medical Intervention
According to Dr. Anupam Sibal, group medical director and senior paediatric gastroenterologist and hepatologist at Apollo Hospital, a liver transplant was the only option for the child's survival. The procedure was performed within a week of the family's arrival in Delhi. The transplant was carried out by a multidisciplinary liver transplant team led by Dr. Neerav Goyal, with Erik's mother donating a portion of her liver. The father was initially evaluated as a donor but was found unsuitable.
Rare Genetic Disorder
Genetic testing later confirmed that Erik suffered from Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Type 4 (PFIC4), a rare inherited liver disorder caused by a mutation in the TJP2 gene. Fewer than ten infant liver transplants for TJP2-related disease have been reported worldwide, making this case exceptionally uncommon. Dr. Goyal stated, "Of more than 600 paediatric liver transplants performed at our centre, only two have involved children with a TJP2 mutation." He added that Erik was only the second child from Trinidad and Tobago to undergo a liver transplant at the hospital.
Delhi as a Destination for Specialised Care
Doctors noted that the successful surgery highlights Delhi's growing role as a destination for highly specialised paediatric care, with complex transplant procedures increasingly attracting patients from overseas. Fifteen days after the surgery, Erik was discharged from the hospital and is recovering well.
