Mumbai Doctors Save Eritrean Teen With Rare Blood Cancer After Cardiac Arrest, Severe Infections And Immune Disorder Complications
Mumbai: A 14-year-old boy from Eritrea, an East African country, has recovered from Burkitt’s lymphoma after battling several life-threatening complications, including cardiac arrest, a severe immune-system disorder and multidrug-resistant sepsis during his treatment in Mumbai. Persistent Fever And Abdominal Swelling Led To Cancer Diagnosis The boy had been suffering from fever and progressive…
A 14-year-old Eritrean boy has defied life-threatening odds to overcome Burkitt's lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer, during his treatment in Mumbai. The boy's ordeal began with persistent fever and abdominal swelling, which led to his diagnosis nearly two months before he arrived in India.
After initial admission to a pediatric intensive care unit in Mumbai, doctors discovered a tumor in his ileocaecal region. His condition rapidly deteriorated, requiring transfer to Narayana Health SRCC Children’s Hospital on May 7, 2026. At this time, the teenager was in critical condition, suffering from respiratory distress, low blood pressure, and a massive abdominal tumor. He needed ventilator support and medications to maintain his blood pressure and heart function.
A biopsy confirmed the boy's diagnosis of aggressive Burkitt's lymphoma, which had also developed secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare condition where the immune system becomes overactive and damages the body's own blood cells and organs. On the fourth day of treatment, the boy experienced cardiac arrest, survived through one round of CPR, and later contracted multidrug-resistant Klebsiella sepsis, a severe bloodstream infection caused by bacteria resistant to antibiotics.
Despite these severe complications, the tumor began to shrink during the second week, and the boy's health gradually improved. He was eventually weaned off the ventilator support. Initially, doctors suspected Stage IV lymphoma, but later diagnosed him with Stage III Burkitt's lymphoma with secondary HLH. His chemotherapy dosage was adjusted to accommodate his fragile condition, and increased as his health improved.
The teenager faced significant physical challenges, having lost 12 kilograms and suffered severe muscle loss, leaving him unable to sit or speak without support at one point. He underwent intensive physiotherapy and nutritional rehabilitation, including tube feeding, to regain his strength. After completing five cycles of chemotherapy, the boy achieved metabolic remission after the third cycle.
In his final cycle, he contracted measles but recovered after early treatment. Upon completing his treatment, he returned to Eritrea in good health.
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