I have another story to share. Thread...This was when I was working as a junior doctor at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London in the paediatric cardiology department. Year 2002. A 14 year old boy, Aaden (name changed) was referred to us via his GP 1/10 https://twitter.com/remanagarajan/status/1281799991934062592

Aaden was a refuge who entered the U.K. in the back of some truck from across the channel. Spoke no English. In fact barely spoke at all. He was scared and quietly breathless. His pulse was fast and oxygen saturations were low. He had no family or friends. 2/10

We got a Somali interpreter. He gave little detail (common among refugees not to divulge a lot- lest the authorities get him - they don’t -but the fear is there). He had a congenital heart defect which should have been operated in infancy. It was inoperable now.3/10

His cardiac function was deteriorating. The only option would be to transplant him. Aaden was too tired and listless to talk. Social services were involved. He was put on a pan European transplant list. 4/ 10

We waited. Then one evening - a heart became available from mainland Europe. Flown in. The transplant call was sent out. The place was buzzing with people - Intensivists, transfusionists, surgeons, their junior surgeons, transplant nurses (I was a minion SHO writing up notes)5/10

Aaden was transplanted at 2 in the morning. I remember seeing him sedated with tubes coming out of his chest connected to many monitors and myriad syringe pumps. Very sick for the first 3 days. But he improved. And then he began smiling. 6/10

The nurses became his mothers, sisters and brothers. They fussed, cajoled him to eat, washed him and comforted him. As he got stronger, he learnt English (we have a hospital school). He talked more and made clear what he did or did not like - like the frame of his glasses 7/10

He was a quick learner. After spending months in hospital, he was discharged. A Somali family was looking after him and I saw him in the outpatients area. He seemed happy. 10 years later, he was still doing well :) 8/10

After all these years, I remember his face clearly and that of my consultant - Dr Philip Rees - who is the kindest soul on the planet. My friend Dr Jaspal Dua and I used to wonder how much it must have cost & about kids in India (this was pre Narayana H) 9/10

Aaden was transplanted at 2 am. His heart was a gift from a dying person in Europe. His new life was a gift from the wonderful NHS who saw him only as a patient. His smile is a gift to us all. The whole world deserves the NHS. 10/10