PHILADELPHIA — A 10-year-old girl whose efforts to qualify for an organ donation drew public debate over how organs are allocated underwent a successful double-lung transplant on Wednesday, the girl’s family said.
Sarah Murnaghan, who suffers from severe cystic fibrosis, received her new lungs at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, spokeswoman Tracy Simon said.
The Murnaghan family said it was “thrilled” to share the news that Sarah was out of surgery.
“Her doctors are very pleased with both her progress during the procedure and her prognosis for recovery,” the family said in a statement.
Sarah went into surgery around 11 a.m. Wednesday, and the procedure lasted about six hours, her family said.
The Murnaghan family and the family of another cystic fibrosis patient at the same hospital challenged existing transplant policy that made children younger than 12 wait for pediatric lungs to become available or be offered lungs donated by adults only after adolescents and adults on the waiting list had been considered. They said pediatric lungs are rarely donated.
Sarah’s aunt, Sharon Ruddock, said the donor lungs came in through normal channels as a result of being on the adult donor list.
“It was a direct result of the ruling that allowed her to be put on the adult list,” Ruddock said. “It was not pediatric lungs, she would have never gotten these lungs otherwise.” Before the ruling, Ruddock said, Sarah was “very close to the end. Maybe a week. Maybe two.”
No other details about the donor lungs are known.
Sarah’s health was deteriorating when a judge intervened last week, giving her a chance at the much larger list of organs from adult donors. On June 5, federal Judge Michael Baylson in Philadelphia ruled that Sarah and 11-year-old Javier Acosta of New York City should be eligible for adult lungs.
Sarah’s relatives, who are from Newtown Square, just west of Philadelphia, were “beyond excited” about her new lungs but were “keeping in mind that someone had to lose a family member and they’re very aware of that and very appreciative,” family spokeswoman Maureen Garrity said earlier Wednesday.
The Murnaghan family noted that Sarah’s successful surgery was the result of another family’s loss.
“We are elated this day has come, but we also know our good news is another family’s tragedy. That family made the decision to give Sarah the gift of life — and they are the true heroes today,” Sarah’s family said in their statement.
The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network says 31 children younger than 11 are on the waiting list for a lung transplant.
Sarah Murnaghan, who suffers from severe cystic fibrosis, received her new lungs at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, spokeswoman Tracy Simon said.
The Murnaghan family said it was “thrilled” to share the news that Sarah was out of surgery.
“Her doctors are very pleased with both her progress during the procedure and her prognosis for recovery,” the family said in a statement.
Sarah went into surgery around 11 a.m. Wednesday, and the procedure lasted about six hours, her family said.
The Murnaghan family and the family of another cystic fibrosis patient at the same hospital challenged existing transplant policy that made children younger than 12 wait for pediatric lungs to become available or be offered lungs donated by adults only after adolescents and adults on the waiting list had been considered. They said pediatric lungs are rarely donated.
Sarah’s aunt, Sharon Ruddock, said the donor lungs came in through normal channels as a result of being on the adult donor list.
“It was a direct result of the ruling that allowed her to be put on the adult list,” Ruddock said. “It was not pediatric lungs, she would have never gotten these lungs otherwise.” Before the ruling, Ruddock said, Sarah was “very close to the end. Maybe a week. Maybe two.”
No other details about the donor lungs are known.
Sarah’s health was deteriorating when a judge intervened last week, giving her a chance at the much larger list of organs from adult donors. On June 5, federal Judge Michael Baylson in Philadelphia ruled that Sarah and 11-year-old Javier Acosta of New York City should be eligible for adult lungs.
Sarah’s relatives, who are from Newtown Square, just west of Philadelphia, were “beyond excited” about her new lungs but were “keeping in mind that someone had to lose a family member and they’re very aware of that and very appreciative,” family spokeswoman Maureen Garrity said earlier Wednesday.
The Murnaghan family noted that Sarah’s successful surgery was the result of another family’s loss.
“We are elated this day has come, but we also know our good news is another family’s tragedy. That family made the decision to give Sarah the gift of life — and they are the true heroes today,” Sarah’s family said in their statement.
The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network says 31 children younger than 11 are on the waiting list for a lung transplant.