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And second chances.
If you don’t believe in miracles,
you just might start after you see our update on little Stephanie Brittingham.
From WUSA-9 News, this is USA tonight with Derek McGinty.
Back in January, we brought you the heart-wrenching story
of Stephanie Brittingham.
The thirteen-year old girl had been waiting two years for a life-saving transplant.
When we did that story, we knew time was running out
and while everyone was trying to put on a happy face, hope was fading fast.
So that is what Stacey Cohan has to report tonight.
Just so incredible.
This is Stephanie Brittingham two months ago.
A sweet but frail teenage girl desperately in need of surgery to save her life.
I’ll be able to do the normal things I used to like having fun more and stuff
but when I run, I get tired too fast.
Stephanie was born with a defective intestine
that had to be removed in emergency surgery two years ago.
Since then, she’s been eating through an IV and her liver was beginning to fail.
She was left with no intestine and no ability to drink or eat anything.
We’d live our life in a hospital.
She probably spent maybe like 15 out of the 21 months in the hospital.
One week after our story aired, Stephanie was back in the hospital
but this time it was good news.
Amazingly, a donor had been found and she was rushed to Georgetown
for the thirteen-hour surgery to replace her small bowel.
Through the ordeal, Stephanie carried this little stuff dog as her good luck charm.
without having a bad dream
and my mommy or a daddy not there for a long time, it kept me company.
Small bowel surgery was deemed experimental until 2001
and because a child’s organ has to be an exact fit,
many don’t survive the wait.
It’s a heart-wrenching for those whose organs don’t come on time
but it’s incredible high when you’re able to get their organs
and save a sweet little girl like her.
If all goes well, Stephanie’s new organ will grow with her
and she will live a normal life
but her mother will never forget how close she came to losing her little girl
and her heart goes out to that family that did lose a child.