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Brain-Dead Virginia Woman Gives Birth, Dies
Aired August 03, 2005 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: From Virginia now, a heart-rending story of early birth and early death here. This is the brother-in-law of Susan Torres. His name is Justin Torres. Susan, you know, is a 26-year-old year-old cancer patient who fell into a coma in May, but delivered that beautiful and very premature baby girl by C-section yesterday. Let's listen to what he has to say.
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JUSTIN TORRES, BROTHER-IN-LAW OF SUSAN TORRES: ... our gratitude for the prayers and support we have received from people across the globe. We could not have made it through this ordeal without you. And on behalf of my brother, my family, and the Rollin (ph) family, I wish to thank you and ask for your continued prayers on -- for the newest member of our family. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And now I'd like to introduce my colleague and peer, Virginia Hospital Center's chief medical officer, Dr. Archie McPherson -- Dr. McPherson (ph).
DR. ARCHIE MCPHERSON (ph), CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, VA. HOSPITAL CENTER: Thank you, Katherine (ph).
Good afternoon. On Tuesday, August the 2nd, at 8:18 a.m., Mrs. Susan Torres, age 26, delivered a one pound, 13 ounce baby girl via Caesarean section here at Virginia Hospital Center. Mrs. Torres has been a patient in the Virginia Hospital Center's intensive care unit for the past 12 weeks. On May the 8th of 2005, she was admitted to the hospital due to complications with an intracranial hemorrhage because of an advanced malignant melanoma, which had spread to a number of organs, including her brain.
Mrs. Torres was 15 weeks pregnant at the time of her hospitalization. Mrs. Torres' team of physicians at Virginia Hospital Center determined that the risk of continuing her pregnancy had become greater than the risk of delivering the baby at the then-gestational age of 27 weeks. The baby girl, Susan Anne Catherine Torres, is currently being cared for and observed in the neonatal intensive care unit at Virginia Hospital Center. After that, Mrs. Torres was returned to the intensive care unit, where her condition continued to be monitored. Her husband, Jason Torres, made the decision this morning to withdraw the artificial life support systems.
Mrs. Torres' care was provided by a large team of physicians, nurses and other hospital personnel. The hospital would like to acknowledge this wonderful work of all these individual members of that team. The entire staff, administration of the Virginia Hospital Center, especially the physicians and nurses whose cared for Susan Torres and her baby, are delighted at the successful delivery.
PHILLIPS: Dr. Archie McPherson there at Virginia Hospital, briefing reporters on just an incredible story that we've been covering a number of days now. He's talking about the new life of Susan Anne Catherine Torres, who weighs just less than two pounds. That this baby that was born because of this couple here, Mr. and Mrs. Torres.
Susan Torres, 26 years old. She was 15 weeks pregnant while dealing with cancer. Well, she fell into a coma in May and was kept alive. She was actually brain-dead, but kept alive because doctors felt that she could still give birth to that child with very minimal problems. And now, we are reporting that little baby was delivered via C-section yesterday.
Of course we will continue to follow what happens next to Susan Torres, to mom. She will probably be taken off life support now and we will follow that part of the story. Meanwhile, the good news is the new life, and that is the baby that survived.
We'll continue to follow the story. Quick break right after this.
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PHILLIPS: And straight ahead on LIVE FROM, a suspect in the July 7th terrorist attacks in London, heading back to the scene of the crime.
Also, Schapelle Corby, the Australian jailed in Indonesia, gets another day in court. Were her attorneys ready? That story, straight ahead.
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PHILLIPS: Live pictures once again from Virginia as we've been following that heart-wrenching story about the young mother who has since passed away after taking a -- being taken off life support. We were telling you the story of Susan Torres, the 26-year-old cancer patient who fell into a coma in May.
Well, she delivered a healthy very premature baby girl yesterday by C-section. The baby is named after her actually, Susan Anne Catherine Torres, weighing less than two pounds, but is said to be doing well. Doctors, family members now, talking to reporters, talking about, of course, the loss of a wife and a sister and a very special family member, but also praising the fact that they have a new family member that they're very excited about and are looking forward to taking care of that new little girl; a little girl named after mom.
Other news around the world now: A suspect in the July 7th London bombings is being sent from Zambia back to Britain. Investigators believe that Haroon Rashid Aswat is an al Qaeda operative who facilitated or recruited the London transport bombers. He was arrested July 20th. Aswat, a British citizen, is also wanted in the U.S. in connection with two terrorism cases.
Coup in Mauritania: A group of army officers overthrowing the president of that West African country. A military junta plans to rule the Islamic nation for up to two years. The president, who himself seized power 21 years ago, was out of that country at the time of the coup.
And a third day of clashes in the Sudanese capital, Khartum. The violence erupted after the death of vice president, former rebel leader, John Garang. He was killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday. At least 84 people have been killed in that fighting between southern Christians and northern Muslim Arabs.
A tough day in court for Australian Schapelle Corby, appealing her 20 year drug smuggling conviction in Indonesia. Corby's lawyers failed to produce a witness that they claim will prove someone else planted drugs in her surfboard bag. Instead, they offered two airline check-in agents who said they would have noticed anything suspicious in Corby's luggage, but when the agents were shown the bag with nine pounds of marijuana in it, both said it didn't look suspicious to them. The judge declared the appeals hearings closed. But he said the high court might order it reopened at a later time.
Two sneaker companies, playing footsie with one another. Susan Lisovicz has the details.
Plus, today's happenings from Hollywood -- Sibila?
SIBILIA VARGAS, CNN HOLLYWOOD CORRESPONDENT: A "Desperate Housewife" is serving up a new book and a couple of reality stars are challenging each other. I'll have all that and more, when CNN's LIVE FROM continues.
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PHILLIPS: Well, actress Kate Hudson, a shining light at the Hollywood premiere of her new movie "Skeleton Key." The supernatural thriller takes place in the gloomy, dark dismal backwoods outside New Orleans.
CNN entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas, live in L.A. with all the gothic details. Hi, Sibila.
VARGAS: I have them all, but I have to say, you look marvelous today.
PHILLIPS: Oh, I...
VARGAS: I was just about to talk about Kate Hudson, but, goodness, we have a star of our own over here. You look great!
PHILLIPS: Oh, goodness gracious. Look who's talking. Sibila..
VARGAS: You should have been on that red carpet yesterday.
PHILLIPS: I'm blushing.
VARGAS: That was definitely the place to be. Stars strolled out for the premiere of the "Skeleton Key," and yes, Miss Kate Hudson was definitely there. She was a vision of beauty, almost as good looking as our Kyra. She strutted her stuff with the rest of the movie's cast.
Hudson plays a nurse in the creepy thriller. She told us what she liked about the role.
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KATE HUDSON, ACTRESS: I loved that, one, it was just refreshing that it was a different type of role, a different type of movie. But the character worked. You know, I mean, the -- great character work. Different for me, really fun to be active and do a lot of fun, you know, small types of stunts.
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VARGAS: "Skeleton Key" opens in theaters August 12th.
Well, if you missed Oliver Stone's epic "Alexander," here's your chance to catch a new and improved version. The newly-edited director's cut premiered last night at Hollywood's ArcLight Cinema. It's eight minutes shorter than the original and Stone responded to critics who said they had problems with the content.
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OLIVER STONE, DIRECTOR: Alexander is a complicated person. His sexuality is complicated. His drives are mixed. He's a flawed hero in the true sense of the world. So he's not for everybody.
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VARGAS: And the DVD is in stores now.
Well, it seems like a case of anything you can do, I can do better. The battle of Nicole and Paris rages on. Paris has a book. Nicole Richie will soon publish one. Paris has a CD, Nicole is preparing to release one.
And now it seems that the two will have movies coming out on the same date. Richie makes her debut in reality-based comedy called "Kids in America," while Paris' movie, "National Lampoon: Pledge This," will debut on the same day. Coincidence? One "Kids in America" producer reportedly thinks not. Well, the two will have to make nice on "The Simple Life 4." Fox decided that they're keeping the two together.
And finally, the ladies may want to take a page from Teri Hatcher's new book. That's right, Wisteria Lane's comeback kid is soon to be an author. Hatcher is called the book about her life "Burnt Toast." The actress says she wants to share her experience of having a second chance at 40 and she'll also write about being a single mom and raising her 7-year-old daughter.
It's a good to end on a good note. And Teri Hatcher told me recently, you never know what's around the corner -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Speaking of good note, listen to you sing. Sibila!
VARGAS: I'm back.
PHILLIPS: You are back.
VARGAS: I had to do it.
PHILLIPS: I'm waiting for the CD. My goodness. I wish I knew you when I was getting married. I would have had you sing at my wedding, Sibila.
VARGAS: Yes, forgot about Paris and forget about Nicole.
PHILLIPS: That's right.
VARGAS: You got some singing here.
PHILLIPS: It's all about you, baby. That's right. All right. We'll see you tomorrow.
All right. We're going to get some new information on the Toronto plane crash and live news conference. It's scheduled at 3:00 p.m. Eastern. We're going to bring to that you live when that happens. We're also going to talk to a survivor.
And answering the call to people in need. CNN takes you back to Niger, where doctors are reaching out in time of crisis. You are not going to miss -- not going to want to miss Jeff Koinange's piece.
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