Medical workers bow out of respect for the nine-day-old girl who donated her kidneys. (Photo/Yunnan.cn)

A nine-day-old newborn girl passed away in Kunming, Yunnan province, July 26, but a dying eight-month-old boy will live to see another day because of the girl's kidney. The two infants' lives were connected through the organ donation. The girl is the youngest organ donator in Yunnan to date.

The newborn was unable to breath after birth due to severe suffocation. Doctors at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Kunming tried everything to save her, but to no avail. She was diagnosed brain dead at seven days. The girl is her parents' second child. The father decided to donate the newborn's organs to keep her alive in the world.

With the parent's permission, the hospital contacted the First People's Hospital of Kunming, also called the Calmette International Hospital, to discuss the donation. The latter then informed the girl's family members of organ donation laws and regulations. "Even though my child only lived a short life, I hope her organs can save others. It will be a big comfort," said the girl's father.

Under the witness of the Red Cross society, they signed the required documents. Li Ke, a staff member at the hospital's organ donation office, was moved by the family's decision, saying that they were touched by the family's kindness and that the girl was the youngest donator she had ever encountered.

The infant was sent to Calmette International Hospital early in the morning of July 26. According to Zhao Yongheng, deputy dean of the hospital and surgeon of the operation, the girl's organs including her heart, lungs, liver, and cornea were not fully developed, which means very few people could use them. So they decided only to use her kidneys.

Even for an experienced surgeon like Zhao the operation was challenging, because the newborn's kidneys are very small, about the same size of human eyeballs. With the help of China Organ Transplant Response System, the kidneys found their two receivers in Wuhan. Unfortunately, one of the kidneys could not be used because it was too small. But the other kidney was transplanted to an eight-year-old boy who suffered from focal segmental glomurular sclerosis.

"The surgery was a success. The kidney matched well and is working. The little patient is in stable condition and recovering well," said Zhao. The kidney will grow fast and be able to meet the needs of his body.