Date: Sunday, 13 September 2026
Mumbai: A 14-year-old boy from Eritrea, an East African country, has recovered from Burkitt’s lymphoma after battling several life-threatening complications, including cardiac arrest, a severe immune-system disorder and multidrug-resistant sepsis during his treatment in Mumbai.
The boy had been suffering from fever and progressive abdominal swelling for nearly two months. For a month before coming to India, he required blood transfusions to manage low haemoglobin and platelet levels. He was initially admitted to a paediatric intensive care unit in Mumbai, where doctors detected a tumour in the ileocaecal region, the area where the small intestine joins the large intestine.
His condition worsened and he was transferred to Narayana Health SRCC Children’s Hospital on May 7, 2026. At the time, he was critically ill, with respiratory distress, low blood pressure and a large abdominal tumour. He required ventilator support and medicines to help maintain his blood pressure and heart function.
A biopsy confirmed Burkitt’s lymphoma, an aggressive form of blood cancer that can grow rapidly and form large tumours. Doctors started chemotherapy to reduce the tumour size. A bone marrow examination also showed secondary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare condition in which the immune system becomes excessively active and starts damaging the body’s own blood cells and organs.
On the fourth day of treatment, the boy suffered pulseless ventricular tachycardia, a dangerous heart rhythm that caused cardiac arrest. He was revived after one round of CPR. He later developed multidrug-resistant Klebsiella sepsis, a serious bloodstream infection that was difficult to treat because the bacteria were resistant to several antibiotics
Despite these complications, the tumour began shrinking during the second week and his condition gradually improved. He was eventually taken off ventilator support.
Doctors initially suspected Stage IV lymphoma but later diagnosed him with Stage III Burkitt’s lymphoma with secondary HLH. His chemotherapy was adjusted initially because of his fragile condition and was increased as his health improved.
The child had lost 12 kg and suffered severe muscle loss. At one stage, he could neither sit nor speak without support. He underwent physiotherapy and nutritional rehabilitation, including tube feeding, to regain strength.
He eventually completed five cycles of chemotherapy and achieved metabolic remission after the third cycle. During his final cycle, he developed measles but recovered after early treatment.
The teenager has now completed his treatment and returned to Eritrea in good health, according to doctors.
