RICHMOND, Va., August 4, 2005

Brain-Dead Woman Gives Birth, Dies

Woman Removed From Life Support After Three Months

  • Video Brain Dead Woman Gives Birth

    A brain dead woman has given birth at a Virginia hospital. Twenty-six-year-old Susan Torres was four months pregnant when cancer left her brain dead, Melissa McDermott reports.

  • Video Miracle Baby Born

    Justin Torres, brother-in-law of Susan Torres who gave birth while on life support, joins The Early Show with Dr. Donna Tilden-Archer to talk about the birth of this miracle baby.

  • Susan Torres is shown this undated photo made available by her family.

    Susan Torres is shown this undated photo made available by her family.  (AP (file))

(CBS/AP)  As early as last month, family members told newspapers that Susan Torres' cancer had spread to her liver, and that if her liver shut down, the baby could not survive in her womb.

Torres was about seven months' pregnant when the child was delivered. Doctors had hoped to hold off on delivering the child until 32 weeks' gestation. A full-term pregnancy is about 40 weeks.

A Web site was set up to help raise money for the family's mounting medical bills, and as of two weeks ago, people from around the world had donated around $400,000.

The family said it must pay tens of thousands of dollars each week that insurance does not cover.

The couple has one other child — 2-year-old Peter, who has been staying with his grandparents.

"The entire staff and administration of Virginia Hospital Center, especially the physicians and nurses caring for Susan Torres and Baby Girl Torres, are delighted with the successful delivery," the hospital said in a statement. A spokeswoman declined to release additional details.

Since 1979, there have been at least a dozen similar cases published in English medical literature, said Dr. Winston Campbell, director of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center, which conducted research on the topic.


©MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Exclusive Webshow

Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie." Watch Now

Latest News
News in Pictures
Scroll Left Scroll Right
Connect with CBS News

Stay connected with the CBS News using your favorite social networks and online news applications: