Steal The Bandwagon: Susan Torres Archives

August 05, 2005

Meet Susan Anne Catherine Torres

MSN is reporting that Jason and Susan Torres' baby is very active and there are no signs that the cancer spread to her. A video of the report with Jason's brother speaking regarding the family's state right now is available here.

The latest update I received from the Susan Torres mail listing is quoted below:

The following statement was delivered by Justin Torres, brother of Jason, at the press conference yesterday.

As you know, at 8:18 a.m. on Tuesday, Susan Anne Catherine Torres was
delivered by caesarean section at Virginia Hospital Center. This morning,
she continues to do well in the NICU unit here at the hospital.

Earlier this morning, after a brief goodbye with her husband, parents, and other family members, and after receiving the last sacraments of the Catholic Church, Susan Michelle Rollin Torres passed away after the machines which sustained her life for the past 12 weeks were turned off at my brother's request. She was 26 years old.

This is obviously a bittersweet time for our family. We are overjoyed at the birth of Baby Susan and deeply grieved at the loss of her mother. From the beginning, we knew that two things would get us through to the baby's birth: God’s providence and Susan’s determination. Susan was always the toughest person in that ICU room. Her passing is a testament to the truth
that human life is a gift from God and that children are always to be fought for, even if life requires, as it did of Susan the last full measure of devotion.

We have many people to thank, starting with the doctors, staff, and most especially the nurses at Virginia Hospital Center. You have been innovative, flexible, and determined on our behalf, and walked every step of this journey with us. We are deeply grateful.

We also must thank the many friends and family members who gave us their
time, energy, and shoulders to lean on over the past 12 weeks. Our debt to
you is lifelong.

Finally, on behalf of my brother I wish to thank the many thousands of people who have taken this story to heart, donated to the Susan M. Torres Fund, and most especially, sent us their prayers and best wishes. This family has literally been lifted up in prayer, and I can never express adequately our gratitude for the prayers and support we have received from people all over the globe. We could not have made it through this ordeal without you, and on behalf of my brother, my family, and the Rollin family, I wish to thank you and ask your continued prayers for the newest member of our family.

Posted by Jody at 12:49 AM | Comments (12) | TrackBack

August 03, 2005

Susan Torres gives birth to baby girl

From the Susan Torres website:

The Torres and Rollin families are proud to announce that Mrs. Susan
Torres gave birth at 8:18 am on Tuesday, August 2, 2005 to Susan Anne
Catherine Torres. The baby weighs 1 pound 13 ounces and measures 13 ½
inches long.

There were no complications during delivery. The baby is doing well and is
being monitored in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Virginia Hospital
Center.

The Torres family will hold a press conference tomorrow, August 3, 2005,
at 1:00 p.m. eastern time at Virginia Hospital Center. Further details
will be available at that time.

Thank you all for your care and support which has helped both families
reach this wonderful day.

In case you are not familiar who Susan is, you can click here for more details. Essentially she was pronounced brain dead and kept alive in order to deliver her child. For those following this story, the baby's birth has been the long anticipated hopeful end to a tragic beginning. Nothing can replace this wonderful wife and mother but her new child will help restore some hope and happiness to these grieving families. Let's wish them all well and please remember bills still need to be paid. If you wish to contribute to the family, please click here.

Update: Others blogging about this miracle baby:
Michelle Malkin, Prolife Blogs, Charmaine Yoest

Posted by Jody at 01:16 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 15, 2005

Susan Torres Update

From the Susan Torres Fund mail group:

As of this morning, Susan and the baby are still doing well. The doctor's have decided, based on the most recent sonogram, that the baby will be 24 weeks old on July 18th, which is the earliest Susan can deliver.
After July 18, the doctors will be monitoring the baby's growth on a daily
basis and are hoping to give the baby as much time as possible to develop
before delivery.

We will continue to provide updates as they develop. Thank you all for
all your support.

Posted by Jody at 10:15 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 10, 2005

Susan Torres

Susan Torres, a loving mother and wife, collapsed on May 7,2005. She was 17 weeks pregnant with her second child at the time. She was rushed to the hospital where she was diagnosed with stage four melanoma. She is essentially brain dead and being kept alive by machines in order for her child to have a chance at survival. On June 28th, the sonogram was able to determine that the baby is a girl. On July 6th, the doctors said that everything was still going fine but they did have to move back the first possible date they can deliver the baby from July 11th to July 18th due to a previous misestimated due date.

Susan's husband, Jason rarely leaves his wife's side although he knows there is no chance for her survival. He must bare the pain of knowing that at any moment he could lose the child that so many have worked so hard to save. There are no guarantees and I'm sure the not knowing has to be extruciating.

Jason and Susan also have a 2-year old son, Peter who wonders each day where his mommy is.

This is such a sad situation, please go to The Susan Torres Fund to donate to this family and find out more information regarding the Torres family. Jason has been unable to work and Susan and the baby's medical bills are astronimical. Any help that you can give them, I'm sure would be appreciated.

To see other articles I've written regarding Susan Torres, click here and here.

Posted by Jody at 04:22 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

June 27, 2005

Susan Torres Family

The Washington Post gives a more in-depth article regarding Susan Torres, the woman who collapsed from a brain tumor and is brain dead.The woman who is being kept alive in order to try to deliver her unborn child who needs to be at least 25 weeks old before Doctor's feel the baby would have any chances of survival. They are racing against time and the melanoma quickly spreading throughout Susan's body. The article explores some of the ethical implications of keep Susan alive even though by all accounts, she is legally dead.

From an ethical point of view, some of the big questions were answered three days after a cancerous tumor at the top of her spinal column, a melanoma, began bleeding and felled Susan Torres on May 7. She was about four months pregnant with their second child. Her doctors have declined to comment, but Jason Torres said they determined his wife to be brain dead, which, according to widely accepted laws in Virginia and other states, means that she is dead.

The question became whether to try to keep her body functioning with machines so the fetus could grow, an ethical scenario akin to organ donation, said Robert M. Veatch, a professor of medical ethics at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University.

In this decision, he and others said, it is Susan Torres's desires and values, as expressed by her or as divined by her husband, that are given the most weight, in light of the fetus's chances of survival.

I am waiting anxiously with this family. I hope for a better ending. The child represents good coming from an impossible situation. The baby, who is now in it's 21st week, has been kicking within the womb and as of right now does not seem to have been adversely affected by what is going on in Susan's body.

Please take some time to visit: http://www.susantorresfund.org/

If you are able to help financially, please do so; but they are also in need of your prayers.

Posted by Jody at 08:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 17, 2005

Who is Susan Torres?

She is brain dead. But she is being kept alive so her unborn child might have a chance to live. Her husband, Jason, is convinced that she would want this and although he has agonized with the decision, he knows that Susan would do anything for her children and to save their life.

Jason has quit his job to be with her at the hospital and the bills are mounting, a fund has been set up if you feel that you can help: http://www.susantorresfund.org/