Happy b’day ‘Bubble Baby’
Gifts, balloons and a large cake in the shape of train with a smiley face chugging forward and releasing a plume of smoke with the words, ‘Happy 4th birthday Sanjana’.
Another milestone: Parents Neil and Damayanthi cut the cake with Sanjana
As was customary, this year too, the Human Genetics Unit of the Colombo Medical Faculty hosted a birthday party for ‘Bubble Baby’ Sanjana Praveen Shivanka on Wednesday. He had turned four on July 12. Sanjana who was showered with attention had been brought all the way from his home in Lellopitiya, Ratnapura for this celebration of life by his father, K.W.N. Neil Shantha, and mother K.B.N. Damayanthi.
All those who were involved in the battle to keep him alive were present while coincidentally those participating in a stem-cell workshop had also been invited to share a piece of cake as well as the treats, both savoury and sweet, which were spread on the table.
Last Sunday’s article in the PLUS of the Sunday Times headlined ‘Bubbling with life’ had elicited a huge response. “We got many calls from well-wishers,” said Damayanthi.
His parents were able to take the ‘Bubble Baby’ who was suffering from the rare genetic disorder, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) Syndrome, to Chennai, India, for a bone marrow transplant, after appeals in the Sunday Times even before he was born, brought in a huge Rs. 6 million to a fund set up by this newspaper.