Doctors Report Baby Eve Is Progressing With New Heart

Baby Eve, the latest infant to receive a heart transplant at Loma Linda University Medical Center, has been “making good progress,” hospital officials announced Tuesday in the first condition report on the child.

The 22-day-old girl was born with a congenitally malformed heart and last week received the heart of another infant who had been declared brain dead, hospital officials said.

“She is round and pink and really quite a lovely, healthy-looking baby,” Dr. Leonard Bailey, who performed the rare transplant surgery, said in a statement released by the hospital. “She is very active and seems neurologically normal. She is breathing comfortably in a small oxygen tent . . . oral feeding began yesterday (Monday) and her heart and kidney function have been excellent.”

Bailey is the doctor who placed a baboon’s heart into the 12-day-old girl known as Baby Fae in October 1984. She died at the medical center 20 days later.

The hospital’s brief release included the first statement from Baby Eve’s mother, who at her own request has not been identified. The mother thanked the parents of the donor, who also has not been identified.

“We are so grateful to them for making possible this surgery,” she said. “Our little girl has a chance to live.”

Baby Eve is the second infant in recent months to receive a heart transplant at Loma Linda. On Nov. 20, Baby Moses was 4 days old when he was given a new heart.

“Baby Moses is doing fine,” said hospital spokesman Richard Schaefer. He added that the hospital plans to issue an update on that child’s condition next week.