Heritage Snapshot: Part 81

On November 9, 2009, more than 2,000 people met in the Loma Linda University Church to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the legacy of Baby Fae, whose full name was Stephanie Fae Beauclair. Her surgery became one of the top 10 news stories of 1984. Present was Teresa Beauclair, Baby Fae’s mother, who until that day had remained anonymous. One of the speakers was Dr. Robert Martin, Baby Fae’s anesthesiologist, now chair of the Department of Anesthesiology in the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He introduced the video, “Stephanie’s Heart, the Story of Baby Fae.” “Twenty-five years ago, Teresa Beauclair, the mother of Baby Fae, chose to remain anonymous in the midst of one of the biggest news stories of the 1980s.… For me, looking back to 25 years ago, I can say that being the anesthesiologist for Baby Fae and the subsequent infant heart transplants, was a truly rewarding experience. Baby Fae helped pave the way for the development of human infant heart transplantation.… The story that was never told was the story of a mother and her daughter. ‘Stephanie’s Heart’ tells that story. It’s a story about one of the most powerful forces in the world—a mother’s love.” After the showing of the documentary, Dr. Bailey introduced Teresa, who joined him and Mrs. Bailey on stage. To the applause of 2,000 attendees, she and Bailey embraced. In answer to one of his questions, she said, “My decision wasn’t hard. Because after I had met you, and we went over all of your research, all of the seven years of research that you had done, we spent all night long, until daylight the next day. And I figured, if I didn’t try, I’d always wonder if it would have worked.” Dr. Bailey, now chair of the Department of Surgery and distinguished professor of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery in the School of Medicine, remembered the dignity and grace that Ms. Beauclair, who was only 24 years old at the time, showed during the ordeal. During the emotional program, she thanked Dr. Bailey on behalf of her daughter and all the infants (more than 2,000 world-wide and more than 500 in Loma Linda) who have since had successful heart transplants, for his courage in trying to save little Stephanie Fae’s life. “Over the past 25 years I have come to know that what you did for my daughter and our family can never be repaid.… And I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done for her and for all the children thereafter.” Teresa’s comment was followed by a standing ovation. At that moment, Amethyst Lewellin, a 5-year-old heart-transplant patient, wearing a princess crown, came on stage and presented Teresa with a bouquet of flowers. Teresa leaned down and embraced the little girl and held her tightly as the audience applauded. What most folks didn’t realize was that the flowers were the same species that Teresa had placed on Baby Fae’s grave. The next princess to be interviewed was 23-year-old Leilah Dowsari, Dr. Bailey’s second human-to-human, infant heart transplant patient. Leilah, known at the time as Baby Eve, was only 17 days old at the time of transplant. She grew up in Qatar, where her father worked, and came back to Loma Linda for annual checkups. (Leila has since given birth to her own son, and rode on an organ-transplant float in the Rose Parade in January 2013.) Then 15-year-old Daniel Vaccaro, who was transplanted on the 10th anniversary of Baby Fae’s historic surgery, and his mother came on stage to tell their story. Janette Whitaker-Allen, the hostess for this part of the program, announced that Mrs. Vaccaro had once met the donor family, and asked her what she would say if she ever did have an opportunity to meet her again. As Mrs. Vaccaro started to answer, Janette interrupted her and said, “Excuse me, I think we do have the donor on line.” It was a surprise. Angie Longhofer, the mother of Daniel’s 15-month-old donor, Austin, through the marvels of technology, was able to join them live by Skype and projection TV. To sustained applause, Mrs. Vaccaro, with tears in her eyes said with great emotion, “Hi Angie.” At the end of the program, to even more applause, almost 50 pediatric heart transplant patients, some of them now adults, came on stage wearing red T-shirts that read, “I left my heart at Loma Linda.” The event was a moving tribute to the legacy of Baby Fae. For the benediction, Judy Lloyd Storfjell, the grandmother of a heart transplant patient, prayed in part, “As we celebrate 100 years of learning and caring at the School of Medicine, we thank You for the dedication of these medical pioneers; for the skill of the surgeons and their entire team; for their never-ending search for knowledge; for their determination and commitment, and most especially for their compassion and love for each child and family they have touched. They cried with us. They prayed with us. They gave us hope. And they refused to give up.”