Baby Rufus in urgent need of heart donation, Hong Kong health authorities say

Hong Kong health authorities have made an urgent appeal for a heart transplant for a six-month-old boy in a critical condition, saying the Hospital Authority will also seek assistance from mainland China soon.

An authority spokesman said on Tuesday evening that six-month-old Rufus, who suffers from dilated cardiomyopathy and is in the paediatric intensive care unit at Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, urgently needed a heart transplant.

“Given the critical condition of the patient, in addition to proactively searching for a suitable heart locally, the Hospital Authority will also seek assistance from the Chinese mainland through relevant procedures as soon as possible,” the spokesman said.

Rufus has suffered a heart failure and is using a left ventricular assist device to support his circulatory function.

The boy, who weighs 7.8kg (17.2lbs) and has type O blood, has shown poor appetite and slow growth since he was four months old.

His parents took him to a private doctor for shortness of breath on June 11, which led to the discovery of serious heart problems and immediate admission to a paediatric intensive care unit.