A woman diagnosed with a rare autoimmune neurological condition has successfully given birth to a healthy daughter at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), following extensive medical interventions that previously included five rounds of therapeutic plasma exchange. The patient, Tania Khatun, delivered her child via a surgical procedure on 3 May, marking a rare clinical success story for the institution’s multi-disciplinary medical team.
Diagnosis and Initial Critical Care
Tania Khatun, a resident of Palashbari village in the Puthia Upazila of Rajshahi district, married her husband, Jeber Ali, a local farmer, ten years ago. The onset of her medical condition occurred unexpectedly in January 2023 when her eyes turned red. Following an inappropriate application of over-the-counter eye drops, her condition deteriorated significantly, and she began experiencing double vision. After initial consultations with local traditional healers and the Puthia Upazila Health Complex, she was urgently referred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
At RMCH, specialists confirmed that Tania was suffering from Myasthenia Gravis, a rare and chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disorder. This condition occurs when the body’s immune system erroneously attacks the junction where nerves connect with muscles, obstructing the transmission of signals from the brain and causing profound muscular weakness. While the condition is not entirely curable, it can be managed with advanced medical intervention.
Tania was admitted to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on 25 January 2023, where she remained for 21 days as part of a total two-and-a-half-month hospitalisation period. Her treatment plan required intravenous immunoglobulin, a therapy costing between 1.2 to 1.4 million takas, a sum far beyond the financial capacity of her husband.
In light of these financial constraints, Professor Kafiluddin of Neuro Medicine and Professor Azizul Haque Azad of Medicine devised an alternative strategy, obtaining consent from the family to perform therapeutic plasma exchange. This procedure involved filtering out the patient’s affected blood plasma and replacing it. Tania underwent five plasma exchange sessions conducted every alternate day. Following ten days on life support, she was successfully extricated from mechanical ventilation and transferred to the neurology ward after three weeks. This marked the first time such a treatment protocol for Myasthenia Gravis was successfully executed in Rajshahi.
High-Risk Pregnancy and Clinical Management
Upon her discharge from the hospital in 2023, medical professionals issued a strict warning to the couple, emphasizing that a future pregnancy would pose extreme health risks, including the potential death of the unborn child. Consequently, when Tania inadvertently became pregnant, the couple faced profound anxiety, rejecting external suggestions to terminate the pregnancy.
Tania immediately sought the guidance of Dr Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, the In-charge of the RMCH Intensive Care Unit. Dr Kamal accepted the case and monitored Tania’s health throughout the entire gestational period. He managed her medication regime and coordinated closely with the hospital’s gynaecology department. Tania regularly attended cross-consultations, ensuring that all obstetric prescriptions were reviewed and approved by the ICU specialists to prevent a relapse of her neuromuscular symptoms.
On 3 May, the prolonged clinical monitoring culminated in a successful caesarean section. The complex operation was led by Professor Rokeya Khatun of the hospital’s Gynaecology Department. Dr Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal later characterised the successful delivery as a rare and significant collaborative triumph involving the hospital’s Gynaecology, Anaesthesia, Medicine, Neurology, and Intensive Care Unit departments.
Expressing Gratitude and Current Health Status
On Tuesday, 19 May 2026, Jeber Ali returned to the RMCH Intensive Care Unit to express his gratitude to the medical staff. He brought agricultural produce from his farm, including bananas, lychees, and green coconuts, alongside traditional sweets.
Jeber Ali stated that both his wife and their newborn daughter are currently in good health. The couple, who also have an eight-year-old daughter, have deferred the naming of their newborn child, requesting Dr Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal to select a name for her in recognition of his role in preserving the lives of both mother and child.