Sudanese-Canadian Doctor Leads Team to Save Rare Case, Becoming the World's Only known Survivor
01 February, 2026
Ontario, Canada (Sudanow) – Media, Medical and scientific communities have acclaimed a unique scientific achievement in which a Canadian-Sudanese doctor living in Canada, Professor Dr. Mohiuddin Ahmed , played a key role.
The heart surgeon working collaboratively with team and colleagues has managed to save the life of a 14-year old Canadian girl from imminent clinical death after she contracted a mysterious illness resulting from a highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infection in British Columbia, Canada.
Canadian media outlets and scientific journals reported on Dr. Mohiuddin's achievement. A Sudanese-Canadian doctor specializing in cardiovascular surgery, has successfully managed a complex procedure involving artificial perfusion of the heart and lungs in Canada, an exceptional medical feat that contributed to saving a patient suffering from a rare form of avian influenza, an infection that does not usually affect humans.
This means that all vital processes, such as the work of the heart, lungs, kidneys, and all other vital organs, must be kept outside the patient's body while the virus is treated and the blood is cleansed of it, and then the vital processes are returned to their normal course.
But it should be noted here that the case was completely hopeless and required intervention and thinking outside the box, which is what Dr. Mohiuddin undertook due to his specialization and in cooperation with a Canadian medical team. This Professor was the same Sudanese-Canadian surgeon who contributed significantly to open-heart surgeries and the treatment of congenital defects in children in Sudan. The same group, I was witness to this, also provided treatments, medications, and medical equipment, and trained dozens of Sudanese pediatric cardiac surgeons. He was a pillar and leader of the Sudanese-Canadian Surgeons Association before the outbreak of war in Sudan.
As for the patient's case, as reported in Canadian media and a specialized scientific journal- such as Vancouver Sun,CBC, Global news, The Lancet infectious disease, among others- imagine a person whose body had become so toxic that all vital signs ceased, and whose condition had reached its peak.
The virus she contracted was unique. However, the heartening aspect is that, after complex case management, she became the first girl in the world to be discharged from the hospital walking on her own two feet, a medical achievement published in one of the largest and most reputable medical journals worldwide, The Lancet Infectious Disease.
The case involved one of the rarest forms of avian influenza. Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses—A(H5N1)—are prevalent among wild birds and are endemic in poultry in some regions of the world, with its transmission to a wide range of terrestrial and marine mammals.
Since 1997, sporadic transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses from animals to humans, particularly from poultry, has been reported in 25 countries. More recently, local infections have been reported in the Americas due to the 2.3.4.4b strain of the virus. Most of the human infections recently detected in the USA have been relatively mild, but severe cases have been reported in several other countries.
In this case, the first local transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) occurred in Canada, in a 14-year-old girl who developed severe illness requiring prolonged intensive care.
The girl contracted the H5N1 virus, strain 2.3.4.4b, genotype D1.1, and exhibited signs of a cytokine storm, which is described as a severe life-threatening immune system reaction. She received a multi-pronged treatment regimen, including combination antiviral therapy, renal replacement therapy, therapeutic plasma exchange, and invasive mechanical ventilation with intravenous life support. She miraculously recovered and was discharged home without requiring further support.
But, retrospectively, at one moment when life was slowly slipping away from the Canadian teenager, science confronted one of the most dangerous viruses of our time and triumphed. The 14-year-old Jocelyn Armstrong was admitted to the British Columbia Children's Hospital with what initially appeared to be flu-like symptoms: a high fever, red eyes, and a cough. But within a few days, her condition deteriorated rapidly. Her blood oxygen levels plummeted, her lungs collapsed, and one organ after another began to fail.
The diagnosis was shocking: highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1—a rare strain that doesn't usually infect humans and carries genetic mutations that make it more virulent and adaptable within the human respiratory system. At this point, the standard medical protocol was no longer sufficient.
In the intensive care unit, a multidisciplinary medical team convened to make the difficult decision: either accept a seemingly inevitable course of the disease or risk everything that the latest medical technology offered.
Among the leaders of this team was Dr. Mohi, a Sudanese cardiologist and one of the prominent names in the scientific paper that later documented the case in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Under his supervision and the participation of his colleagues, the bold decision was made: to initiate ventilator-assisted chorionic colostomy (VV-ECMO) as a last resort after complete lung failure, followed by therapeutic plasma exchange to suppress the devastating cytokine storm, a combination of multiple antiviral drugs, dialysis after kidney failure, and prolonged invasive mechanical ventilation.
It was a battle against time and a relentless virus.
For days, machines performed the functions of her entire body: an artificial lung to breathe, blood purification, and the medical team monitoring every vital sign, hour by hour, or rather, minute by minute.
After the ninth day, the first scientific miracle began: a gradual improvement in lung function. On day 15, ECMO was discontinued, on day 21 the breathing tube was removed, and on the second day, her kidneys regained their function. The biggest surprise came on day 24 when the virus disappeared from her respiratory samples. After that, Jocelyn was discharged from the hospital, walking, breathing, and smiling again.
The most prestigious and scholarly scientific journal “The Lancet Infectious Diseases”, which published the scientific study and report last week on January 23, 2026, notes that "this patient is the only known case in Canada," and according to the available data, "a survivor."
The only one of its kind in the world after this advanced medical intervention. This case was published in leading medical journals, including The Lancet Infectious Diseases and the NEJM. This achievement is not only a medical breakthrough but also a true story of hope when a family joins forces with a comprehensive medical team and advanced medical care is utilized, even in the most critical moments.
Canadian newspapers circulated a photo of Dr. Mohiuddin Ahmed in his medical uniform, smiling alongside the patient and her parents—a smile that embodies knowledge, love, and dedication, culminating in this remarkable success. Dr. Mohiuddin, a man of humanitarian initiatives and contributions, was not merely a participant but one of the key leaders of the case and a leading authority in applying complex techniques that made this patient the only known survivor worldwide of this dangerous strain.
Thus while some ignite the war of destruction, manslaughter and genocide back-home, other Sudanese are doing their job, saving lives and giving hope there, and sending hope here, that Sudan will rise, if it continues to produce the like of Dr. Mohiuddin Ahmed.
Post your comments
Photo of the Week
Khartoum (Sudanow) — In just three days, the war in Sudan will complete its third year since it erupted on April 15, 2023. The conflict pits the Sudanese Armed Forces, supported by allied forces, against the rebel militia and its backers at both regional and international levels. Experts believe this war is no longer purely an internal affair; rather, it has evolved into...
More-
13 April, 2026
Stories from the Heart of the Battlefield War and the Growing Suffering of People with Disabilities
Khartoum (Sudanow) — As the war in Sudan enters its fourth year, and destruction has affected everyone, the suffering of people with disabilities has doubled. This vulnerable group faces severe risks due to war, displacement, and the difficulty of accessing medical and humanitarian aid, in addition to the near-total collapse of educational, medical, and rehabilitation services. To understand the scale of suffering and t...
Contact Us
Address: Sudan News Agency (SUNA) Building, Jamhoria Street, Khartoum - Sudan
Mobile:+249 909220011 / +249 912307547