By RENEE KIRIONA
Twin babies from Vanuatu have left New Zealand for their home village, with one expected to die within three months after doctors denied the child an operation.
The doctor who brought them to Auckland will now ask Australia to try to save the six-week-old baby.
Dr Derek Allen is furious that Starship hospital cardiologists refused to operate on Karen Mandan, who has a severe heart defect.
"One thing is for sure, we aren't going to give up on Karen. I'll be talking to a cardiologist in Australia within the next few days to see if they will operate on her."
Yesterday, Karen, her twin Margaret, who was given an operation for a similar but not as serious defect at Starship, and their mother, Julie Mandan, returned to their village in Vanuatu.
"Margaret is doing just fine and is expected to live beyond 30 years of age. However, Karen's condition is deteriorating by the day. A few days ago her oxygen levels were dropping," he said.
"If she's not operated on within the next two months she will die, that's the reality, and it's sad that she's returned home no better then when she left."
Heart unit head Dr Tom Gentles said there was no way to make Karen's heart function normally.
Margaret's surgery was estimated to cost about $40,000, 90 per cent of which had already been raised.
Doctor looks to Australia for help on Vanuatu baby
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