Gleb Kudriavtsev and his mother Nelli from near Moscow arrived here as available options for a transplant in Germany and United States were costly, said Harish Manian, Facility Director at Fortis Malar Hospital.
Though the boy, who was suffering from restrictive cardiomyopathy, has registered in the Tamil Nadu Cadaver Transplant Registry for an organ donor, it was only after a month and a half on December 18 that the hospital authorities were alerted about a donor from Bengaluru.
Dr K R Balakrishnan, Director of Cardiac Sciences of the hospital said the transplant was made possible after parents of a two-year old girl who died of encephalitis at a hospital in Bengaluru expressed willingness to donate her heart. The boy underwent heart transplantation on December 19.
"I went to Germany twice to find out the possibilities for surgery and was told my son would survive only for two years. I decided to come to India after well wishers told me that treatment is not very expensive like in other countries," she said.
Russian Deputy Consul for South India, General Alexey O Vaskov, who was present, said "We are very grateful to Indian doctors and medical personnel who came to the rescue of the Russian boy... Now there is an Indian heart beating in his chest."