Susan Torres, who has been on life support since May 7, gave birth to a baby girl today. (Note: the Torres Family has released a statement (click here).)

Despite being born 142 weeks early, there were no complications during delivery and the baby "is doing well," Justin Torres, Susan's brother-in-law, wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. The baby, Susan Anne Catherine Torres, weighs one pound 13 ounces and is 13 1/2 inches long, he said.

Susan lost consciousness from a stroke after aggressive melanoma spread to her brain. Her husband, Jason Torres, said doctors told him his wife's brain functions had stopped.

Related Site: Susan Torres Fund

Update: Doctors had hoped to hold off on delivering the child until 32 weeks' gestation. News reports do not indicate why the baby was delivered at 26 weeks although it seems likely that Susan's cancer had progressed and the child was at risk.

On July 18 Justin told the USA Today, "It’s week-to-week, or more accurately, day-to-day right now. Her cancer clearly is progressing, but she seems to be fighting all that much harder to give the baby a chance."

There are few individuals whom I respect more than Jason Torres. As a husband he faced incredible challenges that required significant personal sacrifice. Yet, he did what needed to be done to preserve the life of his daughter, Susan Anne Catherine Torres.

Tom at Truth and Action comments, "We are both happy that Susan Anne Catherine Torres has arrived, and saddened that her mother isn’t able to hold her. Pray for that family and visit the Susan M. Torres Fund and contribute what you can."

Update (Aug.3):

Susan has passed away:

A brain dead woman who was kept alive for three months so she could deliver the child she was carrying was removed from life support Wednesday and died, her family said.

Susan Torres' plight attracted worldwide sympathy after she suffered a stroke in May as she battled cancer. She gave birth to a daughter, Susan Anne Catherine Torres, on Tuesday by Caesarean section.

"This is obviously a bittersweet time for our family," Justin Torres, her brother-in-law, said in a statement.

Doctors are concerned that the metastatic melanoma may have crossed the placenta and affected baby Susan.

Sharon Hymes, M.D., an associate professor of dermatology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said the timing of the possible spread to the placenta is uncertain.

"It's very rare to have placental metastasis, but if you had to pick a tumor that would do this, melanoma would be the tumor that would do this kind of rare thing," Dr. Hymes told MedPage.

Statement from the Torres and Rollin Families

Susan Torres Passed Away Today

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