Child at centre of heart transplant drama a year ago apparently taken off life-support
Posted March 31, 2010 3:32 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A seriously ill child who defied death a year ago after her parents had offered her heart to another infant has apparently been taken off life-support in a Toronto hospital.
Kaylee Vitelli had been on a respirator after experiencing severe seizures on Tuesday evening.
A spokesman says Kaylee has been taken off the respirator and the family is “distraught.”
The Hospital for Sick Children did not respond to a request for comment.
Kaylee captured national attention last April when her parents — fearing their first-born would soon die of a rare genetic condition — offered her heart for transplant.
Against all odds, Kaylee rallied and became well enough to go home a few weeks later.
Kaylee suffers from Joubert syndrome, a malformation of the brain and brain stem accompanied by frequently interrupted breathing.
