Dead Woman Gives Birth!

No, this is not from the National Inquirer, World News, or similar paper.

Instead, it is a fascinating situation which has occurred approximately 10 times since 1977.

Susan Torres was declared brain dead but was kept on machines in the hopes of allowing her fetus to develop to the point that it was viable.

On Tuesday, August 2, 2005, the baby was born weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces.  Doctors report that the baby has a greater than 80% chance of surviving.

On Wednesday, August 3, 2005, Susan was removed from artificial life support.

See Brain-Dead Woman’s Baby Doing Well, CBS/AP, Aug. 4, 2005 and Richard Willing, Girl Born to Brain-Dead Va. Woman, USA Today, Aug. 3, 2005, at 1A.