Tibetan patient flown to Guangzhou for rare blood disease treatment

A 26-year-old Tibetan patient was recently saved from a rare hematological disease after receiving systematic treatment for nearly two months in a hospital in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

The patient, Tenzin Norbu (not his real name), suffered from persistent bleeding after having a tooth removed in early March. Doctors later diagnosed him with aplastic anemia, a rare hematological disease.

Xie Shuangfeng, a doctor who was sent to assist Xizang by the Department of Hematology at Guangzhou-based Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, received the patient at Nyingchi People's Hospital in the Xizang autonomous region. He arranged platelet transfusions and coordinated with the hospital in Guangzhou for referral treatment.

On March 7, blood tests revealed multiple abnormalities. Tenzin Norbu's platelet count was merely 9, an extremely low level. His white blood cell count stood at 1.43, predominantly mature lymphocytes, with a markedly reduced reticulocyte count.

On March 14, Tenzin Norbu was flown 3,000 kilometers to Guangzhou, where he was admitted to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital. After weeks of treatment, his condition has greatly improved and stabilized. He was discharged from the hospital last week.

Before discharge, Tenzin Norbu presented a silk banner to the hematology department and the bone marrow transplant team as gratitude for giving him a second chance at life.

Doctors said the young patient needs to stay in Guangzhou for one to two months for follow-up checks.