Heal beyond Borders, Care for All

On the International Children’s Day today, a global celebration of childhood resilience and hope, we highlight the inspiring story of Nieco, a 2-year-old boy from the Philippines who received a life-saving liver transplant at Renji Hospital in Shanghai in March, 2025.

When Nieco arrived at the Liver Surgery Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Renji Hospital affiliated to the Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in Shanghai (hereafter "Renji Hospital"), he was suffering from severe jaundice and abdominal swelling.

"Nieco’s bilirubin levels were extremely high, with abnormal coagulation function and critically low albumin. He was experiencing severe liver decompensation and urgently needed a liver transplant," recalled a hepatobiliary surgeon at Renji Hospital.

For over a year and a half, Nieco’s family had sought treatment everywhere—from local hospitals to the Philippine Children’s Medical Center in Manila—before finally arriving at Renji Hospital. The child, diagnosed with cirrhosis due to congenital biliary atresia, had already endured 12 life-threatening episodes of gastrointestinal bleeding in the Philippines.

Sammy Cunanan

Director of OR Dept.
Director of Digital Transformation & Integration, Chinese General Hospital

Because right now, the number of patients that can be admitted and given a liver transplant in the Philippines is very few. So, no center is equipped to do living donor liver transplants yet. Maybe one or two, but they don't have the number or the volume of patients that Renji has.

Fortunately, Mindray’s continuous efforts in improving global medical exchanges have enabled the life-saving collaboration between Renji Hospital in China and the Chinese General Hospital in the Philippines.

After a thorough examination and evaluation, CGH selected Nieco as the first patient to be referred to Renji Hospital for liver transplantation surgery.

In 2014, Renji Hospital established China’s first dedicated pediatric liver transplant ward, which has since grown to become the world’s largest pediatric liver transplant center, leading the globe in annual surgeries for 12 consecutive years. With over 3,800 pediatric liver transplants performed to date, its annual caseload now ranges between 300-400, achieving world-leading 1-year and 5-year survival rates for patients.

Qiang Xia

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering
President,Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

We’ve already built mature collaborations in Southeast Asia, particularly in Malaysia, where we’ve helped over 50 children receive liver transplants and trained a local team capable of independently performing such surgeries. We aim to replicate this success in the Philippines, making our solution sustainable and accessible to more regions.

Mark Sun

Mindray CSR Representative

We are dedicated to supporting local healthcare development and empowering professionals to save more lives worldwide.

On February 3, 2025, Nieco was welcomed by Renji Hospital as the first Filipino pediatric liver transplant patient that Renji Hospital receives, alongside his family and a second delegation of Filipino doctors for advanced training.

After a week of preoperative assessments, Nieco’s father donated a portion of his liver, entering the operating room alongside his son while the team led by Academician Xia Qiang began the 6-hour living donor liver transplant.

Pediatric liver transplants are inherently challenging due to children’s anatomical complexities. Nieco’s prior surgery in the Philippines further heightened risks of adhesions.

Mingxuan Feng

Associate Chief Physician, Liver Surgery Department, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

For this child, the key challenge was achieving a secure anastomosis on a single hepatic artery. Given the artery's remarkably narrow caliber, the entire reconstruction had to be done under microsurgical magnification.

After surgery, Nieco was transferred to the ICU for specialized monitoring. As his vital signs stabilized, he moved to a general ward a week later.

Feng Xue

Director of Pediatric Ward & Education, Liver Surgery Department, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Liver transplant is a multidisciplinary program that requires a comprehensive team beyond hepatobiliary surgeons, including specialists in critical care medicine, anesthesiology, internal medicine, interventional radiology, pathology and so on. Only then can we guarantee a liver transplant for our child and the completion of the whole project.

Yuxiao Deng

Chief Physician, Deputy Director, Critical Care Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Nieco’s too young to communicate with us like an adult. Then experienced nursing staff are required to understand him while explaining it to him, just like a mother would.

In Renji’s ICU department, the Mindray Critical Care Clinical Decision Support System and the M-Connect ICU IT Solution monitored Nieco’s condition around the clock. Unlike adults, children cannot articulate their needs, making postoperative care uniquely demanding. This requires healthcare teams to deliver exceptionally attentive and nuanced care tailored to pediatric patients.

Nieco’s successful treatment marks not only a medical miracle but also a milestone in China-Philippines healthcare collaboration.

The Filipino doctors toured Renji’s Smart Healthcare Metaverse Command Center and ICU, praising innovations like AI-assisted diagnosis and teleconsultation platforms. The delegation from Chinese General Hospital highlighted their systematic study of Renji’s multidisciplinary coordination and smart healthcare models as pivotal for advancing local medical capabilities.

Qiang Xia

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering
President, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

In addition to clinical healthcare, we are actively fostering collaborations in education and scientific research, to jointly advance medical progress and development in Asian countries and Belt and Road nations.

Jaime A. FlorCruz

Ambassador of the Philippines to China

I think the event proves the healing of the patient from the Philippines, a two-year-old boy can be done so successfully in Shanghai, and I think that's a very strong symbol of our collaboration of Philippine-China friendship and collaboration.

On March 12, 2025, Nieco and his family returned to Manila, fully recovered. As we reflect on the significance of this day, we are reminded that every child deserves access to the best medical care, regardless of borders. Nieco's successful treatment symbolizes the promise of a healthier future for all children, made possible through shared knowledge and compassion. Mindray remains committed to supporting global medical exchanges, ensuring the well-being of children everywhere through innovative healthcare solutions and collaboration.