At the age of two months, she had a hole in her heart known as the Aorta Pulmonary Window. The child would not have survived infancy if she had not received timely treatment, thanks to financial support from SBI Foundation via Genesis Foundation. The girl, who weighs 2.9 kilograms, is one of the smallest children in India to have her Aorta Pulmonary Window device closed.

She is the only child of Sahira and Suhail from Thane in Maharashtra. A few weeks after her birth, Sakshi had breathlessness and had problems swallowing. She was diagnosed with a complex congenital heart defect called an  Aorta Pulmonary Window (AP Window). It occurs in 0.1% of all infants born with heart defects.

In a normal heart, there are two main arteries, the aorta, and the pulmonary artery, where the aorta carries blood to the body and the pulmonary artery carries blood to the lungs. In an AP Window, there is a hole between these arteries, which leads to an increased flow of blood to the lungs, thereby increasing the lung pressure. Children with AP Window require immediate intervention, otherwise, they do not survive infancy and die due to heart failure.

Dr. L Srinivas, a pediatric cardiologist at Jupiter Hospital Thane, performed the device closure. Her father works as a laborer (loader) for a pittance. Her surgery was funded by SBI Foundation in collaboration with Genesis Foundation because they had no money for treatment.

Sahira, who is two months old and weighs 2.9 kilograms, is one of the 25+ children supported by SBI Foundation in collaboration with the Genesis Foundation. When children are born with simple heart defects, a one-time medical intervention ensures that they are treated for life and can live a normal life.

"We are proud of how our country's medical infrastructure and capacity have advanced to the point where such complex treatment procedures can be performed on infants." We are pleased that we were able to provide timely financial support for Sahira's treatment through our collaboration with Genesis Foundation and Jupiter Hospital, and we look forward to her bright future," said Shri Lalit Mohan, President & COO, SBI Foundation.

"With the help of CSR partners like SBI Foundation, we can only Save Little Hearts one child at a time." "Their faith in the transparency of our work ensures that children like Sahira, who would not have survived infancy," says Simran Sagar, Operations Director at Genesis Foundation.

"I am extremely grateful to Genesis Foundation and SBI Foundation for providing the family with timely financial assistance because Sahira would not have survived without it." "With one medical intervention done at the right time, she can now live a normal life," says Dr. L Srinivas, Pediatric Cardiologist at Jupiter Hospital in Pune.

 SBI Foundation

SBI Foundation is the State Bank of India's CSR arm. In keeping with its tradition of service beyond banking, the foundation currently works in over 28 Indian states and union territories on rural development, healthcare, education, livelihood and skill development, youth empowerment, sports promotion, and other initiatives. SBI Foundation is committed to reflecting the SBI Group's ethos by implementing interventions that are ethical, promote growth and equality, and have a positive impact on society. http://www.sbifoundation.in/

 Genesis Foundation

The Genesis Foundation provides medical assistance to critically ill underprivileged children with Congenital Heart Defects. The assistance required in the aforementioned critical illness ranges from specific surgeries (including neonatal), Cath Lab Interventions, and post-surgery recovery and recuperation.

We, Save Little Hearts.

Over 3600 critically ill children have received medical treatment as a result of our efforts. The Foundation supports children from families with a monthly income of less than or equal to Rs. 20,000, whose parents are unable to afford treatment for their children.