Baby in Experiment Dies; No Transplants Possible

The second anencephalic baby brought to Loma Linda Medical Center for use in its experimental and controversial organ donation program has died--leaving behind, once again, a heart and liver not suitable for transplantation.

The baby, identified as Evelyn Keys, died late Sunday, according to a statement released Monday by the hospital. She had been born in San Antonio on Feb. 20 with a fatal condition known as anencephaly in which most of her brain was missing.

Under the Loma Linda program, she was supported on a respirator for seven days in hopes of preserving her organs for transplantation. When there was no sign of brain death after a week, the hospital, following its own guidelines, removed the baby from the respirator.

She survived another day after removal from life support. But her organs deteriorated from lack of oxygen, a hospital official said. When she died Sunday, the heart and liver could not be used for donation.

Only her heart valves and eyes--considered tissue, not organs--were offered for donation.

It was the second time in nine days that an anencephalic baby had died at Loma Linda without being able to donate organs. The first, identified only as Baby John, was declared brain dead within seven days but no recipient could be found for his organs.

Baby John and Evelyn Keys were the first two babies to be entered into Loma Linda’s program under which the hospital hopes for the first time to be able to preserve the organs of anencephalic babies for transplants into other babies.

Also at Loma Linda on Monday, Baby Jessica, a Canadian infant who underwent successful heart transplant surgery 13 months ago, and her parents left for home, hospital officials said.

Jessica Orchard is one of 13 infants who have undergone human heart transplant surgery at Loma Linda. She is one of nine who have survived.

Jessica was born Nov. 20, 1986, with a severely malformed heart and underwent surgery on Feb. 7, 1987.