The Region : Mothers’ Hesitant Appeal

Mothers of two babies needing heart transplants say they do not like appealing for donors, but there is no other way they can save their children’s lives. “That was hard for me to deal with at first, that somebody else’s baby had to die for mine to live,” said Sally, 32, whose 3-month-old daughter suffers from an enlarged heart. “It’s hard for me to think of a baby being taken apart,” said Maria, 30, whose 3-month-old daughter has an underdeveloped heart. The two mothers, whose last names were not disclosed out of concern for their privacy, are both seeking help through the Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda.