Thursday, May 10, 2012

Romanian baby born with virtually no intestines dies at 9 months old - @AP

A Romanian baby born with virtually no intestines who confounded doctors by clinging to life and captured international attention for his fighting spirit, has died. He was nine months old.

In April, following an Associated Press article, people in Europe and the United States began offering funds and medical expertise to help Baby Andrei get a complicated intestine transplant.

But Dr. Catalin Cirstoveanu, the Romanian pediatrician in charge of the baby's care, said the offers were too late for the little boy, who spent most of his life in the intensive care unit of the Marie Curie Hospital in Bucharest. Andrei died early Thursday.

Cirstoveanu says the baby boy "had an operation 10 days ago, and his condition deteriorated. It was too late for him."