Posted on 08/04/2005 6:39:13 AM PDT by NYer
Arlington, Va., Aug. 03, 2005 (CNA) - Susan Torres, a brain-dead woman who was kept alive for almost three months to give her unborn baby time to develop has given birth to a girl two months premature.
The baby is being monitored at the neo-natal intensive care unit at a hospital in Arlington, Virginia.
Torres, a devout Catholic, suffered a stroke on 7 May after an undiagnosed cancer spread to her brain. Doctors said she was brain dead but they offered to keep her alive for the sake of the baby.
She was four months pregnant with her second child. The baby, Susan Anne Catherine Torres, was delivered by Caesarean section at a Virginia hospital on Tuesday and weighed 800g (1lb, 13oz).
On Wednesday, the Torres family released a statement saying that "earlier this morning, after a brief goodbye with her husband, parents, and other family members, and after receiving the last sacraments of the Catholic Church, Susan Michelle Rollin Torres passed away after the machines, which sustained her life for the past 12 weeks. She was 26 years old."
"This is obviously a bittersweet time for our family," says the statement. "We are overjoyed at the birth of Baby Susan and deeply grieved at the loss of her mother. From the beginning, we knew that two things would get us through to the baby's birth: God's providence and Susan's determination. Susan was always the toughest person in that ICU room. Her passing is a testament to the truth that human life is a gift from God and that children are always to be fought for, even if life requires-as it did of Susan-the last full measure of devotion.
The family especially gave thanks "the many thousands of people who have taken this story to heart, donated to the Susan M. Torres Fund, and most especially, sent us their prayers and best wishes. This family has literally been lifted up in prayer, and I can never express adequately our gratitude for the prayers and support we have received from people all over the globe."
Blessed be God.
What a beautiful family.
What a witness to life. I hope they can apply this since abortion is still up to delivery.
I'm so sorry that she passed away. Every mother that I've talked to about this has said the same thing--they would make the exact same sacrifice. I know her husband must have been in agony, but I hope he has some peace now.
I found this website for the fund via Google:
http://www.susantorresfund.org/
May God bless that little baby and her family, and may God rest Susan Torres's soul.
"To save one life is as if you had saved the world."
Talmud
Dear Trust but Verify, this is really the banished 'gingersnaps' here, posting under an old screenname, 'gumbo.'
Forgive me that my topic isn't the miracle baby (though I AM rejoicing over that news!), but about the Natalee Holloway threads...I just wanted to get back to you to tell you THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH for sticking up for me on those threads!
The only way I found out about your kind actions following my banishment was through another kind FReeper, who let me know you and some others had "gone to bat" for me.
I can't say how touched I am over that. I'm so grateful there are still such good and decent people on FR.
For now I'm not going to post anymore on the NH threads (though apparently I've been given permission to do so under my old name). I'm not even reading any threads on FR for awhile.
But I will check into my FReepmail under the 'gumbo' account a couple of times a week. So if there's ever any news about the NH case --or anything else you'd like to share-- I'd be most honored to hear from you again.
--Joyce (gingersnaps/gumbo)
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