For Canadian Infant, the Beat Goes On as Heart Is Implanted at Loma Linda
A 21-day-old infant on Thursday became the 14th child under 4 months of age to receive a human heart transplant at Loma Linda University Medical Center.
Timothy John Kesimaat’s new heart started beating at 10:51 a.m. Thursday, according to Loma Linda spokesman Dick Schaefer.
Timothy, who was on Loma Linda’s transplant list for 20 days was in critical but stable condition.
He was born in Ontario, Canada, with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a lethal underdevelopment of the left side of the heart.
Schaefer said he knew nothing about the donor baby but confirmed that Timothy’s new heart did not come from one of the two anencephalic babies on life-support systems at the medical center. The hospital developed the nation’s first guidelines for using such babies, born with most of their brains missing, as organ donors.
Of the 14 infants who have received human heart transplants at Loma Linda since 1985, 11 have survived, including Timothy and four other Canadian infants.
Timothy was in surgery for five hours. A team of surgeons led by Dr. Leonard Bailey performed the operation.
Timothy, the son of Bonnie Hamilton and John Kesimaat of Hamilton, has three sisters and one brother.
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