A Bittersweet Ending.... And Beginning

Back on May 7, 26 year old Susan Torres of Arlington, Virginia suffered a massive stroke brought on by an undiagnosed tumor. By the time she got to the hospital, she was brain dead.

Already the mother of a two year old, Susan was 15 weeks pregnant with a second child when she fell ill . Unfortunately, fetuses are generally not able to survive outside the womb until the 24th week.

It was under those dire circumstances that family members and doctors decided to take the longest of long shots: Keeping her on life support until the baby could be safely delivered.

And so it was that yesterday at 8:18 AM, Susan Anne Catherine Torres--weighing all of 1 pound, 13 ounces--came into the world. While she will remain in the neonatal unit for the foreseeable future, doctors have pronounced little Susan healthy.

Remarkably, trained medical professionals were able to accomplish all this without the help of George W. Bush and the United States Congress.