Eight-month-old Pakistani infant Rayan has become the youngest bone marrow donor in India by donating healthy bone marrow stem cells to his elder sister, who underwent successful transplant at a city hospital in Bengaluru.

The two-and-a-half-year-old Zeenia, hailing from Sahiwal in Pakistan, was suffering from Hemaphagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare disease in which bone marrow produces some abnormal cells which eat away the normal cells, resulting in high fever, low blood counts, and liver and spleen enlargement, doctors said.

Calling it a potentially life-threatening disorder,  doctors said the only cure for this condition was bone marrow  transplant. Zeenia was also diagnosed to have partial albinism since birth, they added.

Dr Sunil Bhat, Senior Consultant and Head of Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant at Narayana Health City hospital, said:

"By using small marrow extraction needles and with the assistance of a team of anesthetists and other members, we have successfully extracted enough marrow which helped cure Zeenia," he added.

Doctors said the procedure was conducted in October and now, Zeenia is cured of her "deadly disease" and ready to leave for Pakistan to lead a normal life.

The doctors also said Rayan was doing "exceptionally"  well and fine.

Stating that there was "general fear factor" when they landed in India, Zeenia's father Zia Ulla said his daughter was now fine and recovering.