Countdown BABY

At some point last week, the people at Virginia Hospital Center gave Jason Torres a chair that reclines fully so he could more comfortably s...

At some point last week, the people at Virginia Hospital Center gave Jason Torres a chair that reclines fully so he could more comfortably sleep by his wife8217;s side, which was 8216;8216;pretty exciting,8217;8217; he said, mustering the best attitude he could. This was the 46th day, which was very much like the 45th day and the 44th: Susan, his 26-year-old pregnant wife, lay in her hospital bed, brain-dead, yet attached to a ventilator, in the hope that her body could sustain the foetus at least two more weeks before cancer reached her womb or her body just quit.

Many have helped Torres with his share of the bill, which he estimates at 300,000 or more: About 175,000 has poured in so far, 15 checks from down the street, an anonymous 15,000 one, dollars from across the country, Canada, England and Australia.

Mostly, though, the case has been notable for its rarity, for its medical complexity and for its lack of ethics controversy. 8216;8216;Personally, if I were in the position of the husband, I think this is exactly what I8217;d want done, because your wife is not suffering, and I don8217;t think it8217;s demeaning,8217;8217; said Robert Harbaugh, chairman, neurosurgery department.

And so, a rare medical drama8212;only 11 similar cases have been reported since 19798212;began to unfold. Sustaining Susan8217;s body is an enormously difficult task. With no brain function, she has to be hooked to a ventilator, which in turn keeps her heart pumping and blood circulating to her vital organs, most importantly the placenta. She must be given nutrition intravenously. A catheter must be used to eliminate waste.

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In the week since Susan Torres8217; story became public, a relative handful of people have said it is demeaning to use her body as an incubator, while others have helped Torres with his family8217;s medical costs

8216;8216;The baby has an immune system that is distinct from the mom,8217;8217; said Lynn Schuchter, an expert in melanoma. 8216;8216;So it8217;s possible if foreign cells arrive, the immune system can handle it.8217;8217; Torres is inclined to take the chance. LAT-WP