A nine-month-old Mongolian boy who had congenital heart disease fully recovered in Korea amid the Covid-19 pandemic. 

A cardiothoracic surgery team led by Professor Seo Dong-man of Ewha Womans University Medical Center has conducted a cardiac surgery on an infant named Erkhemsaihan, diagnosed with congenital pulmonary valve stenosis. 

The young patient recovered after the surgery and will go back to Mongolia late this month, the hospital said Wednesday. 

Professor Seo Dong-man of Ewha Womans University Medical Center (left on back row), other hospital workers, and the Mongolian baby’s family share a moment before leaving the hospital. (EUMC)
Professor Seo Dong-man of Ewha Womans University Medical Center (left on back row), other hospital workers, and the Mongolian baby’s family share a moment before leaving the hospital. (EUMC)

The patient had ventricular septal defects and several holes in his heart, as shown by supersonic tests upon birth. After six months later, he was diagnosed with additional holes and pulmonary artery stenosis at re-screening. 

The boy’s father had to find a country for his son’s surgery, as Mongolian medical workers said they could not perform such a surgery. He was then connected to Professor Seo through a Global Sharing Love recommendation in Korea, a local nonprofit organization. 

“Mongol was safer than Korea from the coronavirus, but the family decided to brave risks because of Professor Seo’s reputation as a global authority in this area,” an official at the organization said.   

Erkhemsaihan and his family faced difficulty entering Korea due to the lockdowns in Mongol amid the aggravating Covid-19 situations in their country, delaying their flight for almost two weeks. After weeks of self-quarantine after the entry, the baby received surgery on Jan. 11, and fully recovered, and left the hospital on Tuesday. 

“Thanks to Professor Seo and medical staff at the hospital, our baby was reborn with a new heart, we are grateful for their effort, and will never forget their warm services,” the father said.

Professor Seo said, “There is a rising number of babies who cannot receive proper treatment due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We could successfully conduct the surgery for Erkhemsaihan thanks to cooperation from Mongolian Korean officials.”  

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