The State - News from Nov. 14, 1988
A baby born with a fatal heart defect underwent successful heart transplant surgery, the 23rd infant to undergo the operation at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Baby Whitney Ray Petersen, born 2 1/2 weeks ago at the medical center, was in critical condition after the 4 1/2-hour surgery, said hospital spokeswoman Anita Rockwell. Rockwell said the infant’s condition was diagnosed before birth as hypoplastic left-heart syndrome, a lethal deformity. The infant’s father, Daymon Petersen, 31, of Murray, Utah, is a maintenance worker for the state of Utah. The baby’s mother, Cynthia, 29, is a nurse. No information about the donor’s family was released. Of the 23 infants under 6 months of age to undergo human heart transplant surgery at Loma Linda, 19 have survived the operation.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
