Sep 5, 2006 12:28 pm US/Pacific
Toddler Gets Critical Surgery
Update: Dr. Jeff Shapiro
(CBS 5)
A South Bay couple is keeping vigil at Stanford Hospital, as their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter recovers from the only surgery that can save her life.
Katalina Thang was born with a major heart defect, and doctors told her parents she likely wouldn't live past age one. But Katalina has defied the odds - and on Labor Day, she underwent a heart and double-lung transplant.
"She's still sedated," her father Ming Thang says. "The first few days are critical."
Katalina was honored earlier this year when Jefferson Award winner Dr. Jeff Shapiro and his "Organs R Us" running team dedicated their annual relay to her. Shapiro's mission in founding "Organs R Us" was to draw more attention to the critical need for more organ donors.
Dr. Shapiro is ecstatic about Katalina's progress.
"She got the perfect-sized organs, she's doing wonderfully," he says. "Everyone who is part of "Organs R Us" is as happy as can be."
Read more about
Dr. Shapiro's race to save lives.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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