Ledger DC Journal - News, Politics & Crime

Today is the 25th anniversary of the operation to attempt to save Baby Fae at the Loma Linda University Medical Center in Southern California. Stephanie Fae Beauclair was the given name of the little girl that captivated the nation's attention as she struggled for life with an experimental procedure.

25th Anniversary of Stephanie Fae Beauclair Operation

When it was revealed that the Baby Fae donor was a baboon and a hospital research animal and would be killed for the experimental procedure that would likely fail, animal rights activists screamed loudly.


Gene Byrd has more here on the controversy at the time. A Time magazine article notes, "The medical community, though normally receptive to technical innovation, was sharply divided."

They have a detailed feature length article here titled , "Baby Fae Stuns the World." Though the baboon heart experiment failed and baby Fae expired after only 21 days - it helped with heart transplant development for future patients.