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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Scott Harrison

Aired February 08, 2004 - 09:15   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Rebeca Martinez lived only eight short weeks, but she's already made a lasting impression on so many people who hoped and prayed she would survive the surgery to remove her second head. But she didn't make it. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She was only alive for two months, but her birth, life and death made medical history.

Rebeca Martinez passed away after undergoing a 12-hour operation to remove an extremely rare defect, a second head, with partially formed lips, eyes, ears and a primitive brain. Known as craniopagas parasiticus (ph), or twin parasite.

Surgeons knew they'd be fighting a difficult and somewhat unpredictable battle against bleeding. In fact, the medical team had four gallons of baby Rebeca's type blood on standby. In the end, it would not be enough.

DR. JORGE LAZAREFF, LEAD SURGEON (through translator): There was a great amount of fluid that had built up, causing an imbalance in the circulation of the blood, which in turn caused an increase in pressure in certain areas and internal bleeding.

GUPTA: In short, despite the massive transfusions, Rebeca's blood would not clot and she bled to death.

The team, made up of 18 surgeons, had decided to perform the operation now, because the second parasitic head was growing too fast and exerting too much pressure on baby Rebeca's brain. Her father agreed with the decision, and is now at terms with his daughter's death.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You all know that little Rebeca died. We are at peace. We are a Christian couple, believing always in Jesus Christ.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Now, baby Rebeca's condition was truly a first for neurosurgeons. In fact, doctors have documented only seven other cases of this type of twin anywhere in the world. Now, support for this operation came from the hospital in the Dominican Republic, and from Cure International that's based here in the United States. And the founder of Cure International is Dr. Scott Harrison. He is joining us by phone this morning from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Doctor, thanks for being with us.

DR. SCOTT HARRISON, CURE INTERNATIONAL: I'm happy to be here, thank you.

CALLAWAY: Such a sad ending for little Rebeca, but it's fortunate that she was at least given the chance for this surgery in the Dominican Republic. I know your organization is responsible for that.

A lot went into preparing for this as well, right?

HARRISON: Yes. The operation was done at our hospital. Our organization has hospitals throughout the developing world, and she was brought to our hospital with the hope that perhaps by combining our first world connections and care with what we were doing in the -- already doing in the Dominican Republic that she would have the best chance.

CALLAWAY: Doctor, I'm not sure a lot of people are aware exactly what Cure does and how needed this organization was. I know that you provide medical care for children in some of these countries where babies that are born with crippling deformities often are given no chance at all. It's unfortunate that this particular case received so much attention and had the kind of ending that it did. I know that you're still encouraged by the success of your organization.

HARRISON: Yes, we have hospitals in Africa. We have work that we're doing in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and day in and day out, there are many children whose lives are saved because of the doctors that we have there and the support that we're able to supply them from the United States.

But when the high risk cases come, it is unfortunate, but some of them just won't be able to make it. But we were very pleased that we got so much support from American medical teams, and they were able to teach the Dominican doctors not only about this rare case, but skills that they will use in their daily practice in the days and weeks ahead.

CALLAWAY: And these children, with these types of crippling deformities, not exactly what Rebeca had but other types, some of these children in these type of communities, really there's quite a stigma attached to them and their families, right?

HARRISON: Yes, and that's not just true in Africa, where they're often felt to be cursed, but even in America it's not uncommon for a parent to think that perhaps they did something wrong, and that they're being punished by having such a child. But that's part of what we try and address as we deal with the families and the children. CALLAWAY: Well, Dr. Scott Harrison, thank you very much for being with us this morning, and good luck in your work with Cure International.

HARRISON: Thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired February 8, 2004 - 09:15   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Rebeca Martinez lived only eight short weeks, but she's already made a lasting impression on so many people who hoped and prayed she would survive the surgery to remove her second head. But she didn't make it. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She was only alive for two months, but her birth, life and death made medical history.

Rebeca Martinez passed away after undergoing a 12-hour operation to remove an extremely rare defect, a second head, with partially formed lips, eyes, ears and a primitive brain. Known as craniopagas parasiticus (ph), or twin parasite.

Surgeons knew they'd be fighting a difficult and somewhat unpredictable battle against bleeding. In fact, the medical team had four gallons of baby Rebeca's type blood on standby. In the end, it would not be enough.

DR. JORGE LAZAREFF, LEAD SURGEON (through translator): There was a great amount of fluid that had built up, causing an imbalance in the circulation of the blood, which in turn caused an increase in pressure in certain areas and internal bleeding.

GUPTA: In short, despite the massive transfusions, Rebeca's blood would not clot and she bled to death.

The team, made up of 18 surgeons, had decided to perform the operation now, because the second parasitic head was growing too fast and exerting too much pressure on baby Rebeca's brain. Her father agreed with the decision, and is now at terms with his daughter's death.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): You all know that little Rebeca died. We are at peace. We are a Christian couple, believing always in Jesus Christ.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Now, baby Rebeca's condition was truly a first for neurosurgeons. In fact, doctors have documented only seven other cases of this type of twin anywhere in the world. Now, support for this operation came from the hospital in the Dominican Republic, and from Cure International that's based here in the United States. And the founder of Cure International is Dr. Scott Harrison. He is joining us by phone this morning from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Doctor, thanks for being with us.

DR. SCOTT HARRISON, CURE INTERNATIONAL: I'm happy to be here, thank you.

CALLAWAY: Such a sad ending for little Rebeca, but it's fortunate that she was at least given the chance for this surgery in the Dominican Republic. I know your organization is responsible for that.

A lot went into preparing for this as well, right?

HARRISON: Yes. The operation was done at our hospital. Our organization has hospitals throughout the developing world, and she was brought to our hospital with the hope that perhaps by combining our first world connections and care with what we were doing in the -- already doing in the Dominican Republic that she would have the best chance.

CALLAWAY: Doctor, I'm not sure a lot of people are aware exactly what Cure does and how needed this organization was. I know that you provide medical care for children in some of these countries where babies that are born with crippling deformities often are given no chance at all. It's unfortunate that this particular case received so much attention and had the kind of ending that it did. I know that you're still encouraged by the success of your organization.

HARRISON: Yes, we have hospitals in Africa. We have work that we're doing in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and day in and day out, there are many children whose lives are saved because of the doctors that we have there and the support that we're able to supply them from the United States.

But when the high risk cases come, it is unfortunate, but some of them just won't be able to make it. But we were very pleased that we got so much support from American medical teams, and they were able to teach the Dominican doctors not only about this rare case, but skills that they will use in their daily practice in the days and weeks ahead.

CALLAWAY: And these children, with these types of crippling deformities, not exactly what Rebeca had but other types, some of these children in these type of communities, really there's quite a stigma attached to them and their families, right?

HARRISON: Yes, and that's not just true in Africa, where they're often felt to be cursed, but even in America it's not uncommon for a parent to think that perhaps they did something wrong, and that they're being punished by having such a child. But that's part of what we try and address as we deal with the families and the children. CALLAWAY: Well, Dr. Scott Harrison, thank you very much for being with us this morning, and good luck in your work with Cure International.

HARRISON: Thank you very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com