I think that this is sweet how, They did this with the baby.

I think this is a disgrace. Take a life to prolong one that is going to die anyways. it's wrong. The doctor did this just for his own God complex.

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I do not feel animals rights are being exercised and we need more humans to speak on their behalf. If it was guaranteed the baby would live that I "may" have considered agreeing, but obviously this was done "in the name of science" only.

You people are crazy!! I love animals, but we are talking about a human. A human life if WAY more important than some animal. I am sure if it was your son or daughter you would be all for it!!

What a disgrace that this zenotransplantation occurred. The baboon's life was just as important as the human's. I'm glad that the procedure wasn't a success, because I can only imagine how many animals would have perished had this procedure's outcome been positive.

A person is more important than an animal. Sure a monkey died but it gave a human some life and if the baby had lived that would have been great. You people need nto figure out what is important in life.

HOW COULD YOU SAY YOU ARE HAPPY THE BABY DIED!!!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU???

I thank our heavenly father and Dr. Bailey for making miracles such as baby fae happen. My son had a heart transplant on Dec. 28th, 2008 at Loma Linda Hospital and it was the greatest blessing anyone can and could ever ask for.

I am sad that a baby died and I am sad that as humans we view other forms of life as less valuable than our own mainly because they cant defend themselves or speak for themselves.All forms of life are important and should be valued especially the unborn but still all. I cant say however that if it was my infant I wouldnt be more open to trying anything to save her life, say Im bad, well maybe, but when it comes to our kids we never know how we will feel till we are there in that position.

Perhaps it is because the information I've found is so vague, but I don't understand the importance of this case. The baby lived about 14 days longer than expected. During her short 21 days life she underwent a major surgery which probably caused her a lot of pain. This does not seem like it was done to help her but to give the doctor a chance to test his idea on a family that would have probably done anything to save their child. A child and monkey needlessly suffered for his ego.

i 'm agree with kelly you do every thing for your childrens life.

I am not an animal lover but I think you people are sick thinking we human is more important. Human are the worst animal in the animal kingdom. I would not take another life to save my own children. Human should stop playing GOD.

Its totally wrong and unethical. The baby only lived for 21 days, but the baboons whole life was taken away. Thats not right.

First off, I fully understand why a parent would opt for a heart transplant for their child, regardless of where the heart came from. If it were my own child, I would do anything to ensure their well being and that they have an excellent chance at life.

However, that being said, I am also an animal rights activist (of course I would choose my own child over anyone else!). This procedure was NOT meant to save the baby forever. How could a baboon heart have kept a baby alive for more than the 20 days it survived? It seemed like a false procedure that really had no chance of being successful, and doctors knew this. What if the baby grew into a child? They would have to replace the heart and second time... and what if they couldn't find one?? It just seems like there were too many questions during that time. It seemed more like an EXPERIMENT than anything else... and two lives were used for science, the baby and the baboon.

I see nothing wrong with using an animals heart or any body part to save a humans life. I am sure if the roles were reversed the animal would say the same. After all to some extent we are all animals just trying to live on this planet earth. Survival of the fit and survival of the rich. We are lucky to even have this conversation. We all eat animals for our bennefit, some countries eat animals that we keep as pets, they do not have the option. Rich folks need to knock it off and realize the only reason you may make your case that an animal has rights too is that you have money to do so in the first place. Go and tell third world countries that animals have rights, tell the Philipines that they can't eat dog, or have cock fights....they need to survive too damn it.

I believe that human life is very important, however I also believe that animals are also important. If and I say if doing this procedure would have given the baby a long enough time to stay alive to get a human heart then it would have made it worth it, but theirs not alot of info to go on and it sounds like the doctor was using it as a scientific project. If this just made the baby suffer more through horrible surgeries and being hooked up to a bunch of damn tubes and IV's well then he/she wasn't really living. And the animal had to die to. So all in all its a lose, lose situation!!

All of you who are worried about "ethics" and animal rights, need to remember. God gave us dominion over all creatures on Earth. If it takes animals to die to advance medicine then that is a necessary evil that needs to be swallowed. All of you owe all of your modern medicines, make-up, perfumes, etc. to animal testing. When you get polio, the plague, rhumatic fever .... oh wait, you dont get those, due to the vaccine made from animal testing!!

:D

It is my understanding that the initial baboons heart transplant enabled the progression to further successful human to human infant heart transplants in people that are alive today. I am an animal lover and have personally refused to perform research involving animals. However, animals are and always will be a source of knowledge in many aspects of medical research and its use for us as humans.

My son had a heart transplant in 1982 which would not have been possible without the animal research which went before..I would like to see all you ARFs (animal rights fanatics)take the place of the test animals.The world would be immeasurably better off without your twisted priorities and philosophies.

I cannot believe anyone can consider themselves so high and mighty as to be a decision maker for who's life is worth what; animal or human... That is left for God and God alone!! You are speaking FOR those who have NO voice. As far as I am concerned, that just makes you ignorant as well as arrogant...

Who are we to lay blame on Drs., Parents, or ??? Baby Fae was so SPECIAL in God's eyes all she ever needed in life was her body to "house" her sweet little spirit in, for but one brief moment!

She was so favored by our Heavenly Father that's all she needed in order to be "perfected"! After that, it probably was her choice to leave after that brief moment. But she chose to stay for 21 more days. Why? No one knows that either.

I really think she stayed to be with her family and loved ones just a few more moments until they would meet again - in the future, FOREVER!

It's tragic that they had to kill an animal to save her life, but if they had not done it...... would transplants be as advanced as they are today?? Millions of people a year have benefitted from this 1 baboons death. I think you animal rights activists are being over dramatic. I would rather have an ANIMAL die so I could spend 21 days with my daughter, rather than watch her die knowing I did nothing

"The baboon's life was just as important as the human's." -- Posted by: Mary Beberenti at October 26, 2009 4:42 PM -- That is perhaps the sickest post I've ever had the displeasure of reading on any forum anywhere. One has to wonder the priorities of those radical PETA animal lovers who perceive animals as equal to humans. My God how sick.

I can not believe anyone would say that they were glad that this surgery was a failure. Have you no compassion? That is some ones child who died. What do you think her mother would think if she were to read that?? You more inhumane than a doctor doing a historical surgery. You should be ashamed of yourself

it is good and bad in a sence.now i maybe small[14] and not really understand, but who r u to take life wheither its a child,animal or and adult?god gave it so it should be him alone to take it.i am really sorry for the parents who lose that wonderful life but she wasn't meant to live,think abt it this way if god had wanted her to live he wud have let her,it don't matter wat u or scientist try to do when he want u he is going to take u.i won't lie i think that they no that she wasn't going to live,so they maybe say lets try this on her as an experiment,they wudn't tell u that of course, they will find some persuadsive speech to give and u wud think it will save her.i no any mother wud go out of the way for her child/chlidren if she really cares and is human.i don't care who is vex or angry at wat i say.i say wat i say and meant wat i say so too bad!

it is good and bad in a sence.now i maybe small[14] and not really understand, but who r u to take life wheither its a child,animal or and adult?god gave it so it should be him alone to take it.i am really sorry for the parents who lose that wonderful life but she wasn't meant to live,think abt it this way if god had wanted her to live he wud have let her,it don't matter wat u or scientist try to do when he want u he is going to take u.i won't lie i think that they no that she wasn't going to live,so they maybe say lets try this on her as an experiment,they wudn't tell u that of course, they will find some persuadsive speech to give and u wud think it will save her.i no any mother wud go out of the way for her child/chlidren if she really cares and is human.i don't care who is vex or angry at wat i say.i say wat i say and meant wat i say so too bad!

Animal rights, are you people crazy? Humans live due to the breeding and eventual death of animals. Animals are a critical part of our food chain! Therefore, why is it so terrible to possible preserve a human life at the expense of an animal?

The surgery was impt bec it was the first time a heart transplant had been done on something so small. it is really hard to find a human heart that small esp since few parents gripped with the despair of losing a child will volunteer its organs for transplant. it opened up a whole new field and countless children have lived long productive lives as a result. They probable used that baboon bec it was avilable, cheap, and guaranteed disease free. Would you people be less upset if they had used a pig?? Something we slaughter daily and is actually amazingly human like in terms of organs, the child may have actually lived longer with that type of heart.

It's not that ppl favor animal life better.
Why would a baboon heart survive in a newborn baby?? And who is ANYONE to say that an animals life isnt important?! They have feeling, they get sick, they also have families. And I wrong? NO i'm not. Im sure if my baby needed a heart transplant that I would want to get a heart from any PERSON. The possibilities that she would have lived a while im sure were very slim. Why get attatched if your gonna lose the baby in less than a month any way though? Sooner or later the baby would need a DIFFERENT heart. and as someone said, what if there is no heart to get in time?? What would have happened then?? And to whoever said the thing about how animal rights "fanatics" should be used for testing is so dumb and ignorant!! Those animals can't tell you to stop because it hurts! Or say no, they don't want to be cut open and expiremented on. or tell you that they don't want to give their heart to a baby. They do have rights. Those ppl that fight for them are giving them a voice! What if u couldn't speak. would u want to be expiremented on???!!!
I dont think so.
Maybe they need to make sure an expirement is going to be good in the long wrong. killing on animal to save another for not even a month...come on now.

Every major discovery made in medicine has first been tested on animals. Their organs are relatively similar to that of a humans, and respond in much of the same way. As a mother of a daughter born with a congential heart defecct, who has had numerous surgeries, I can say, that unless you have a 'sick' child, you don't know the lengths you would go to make sure that child lives....even if only for 21 days. For you Kay, whomever you are, obviously you are NOT a mother, or you would not even think about making the statement, "Why get attached if your gonna lose the baby in less than a month any way though?" Mothers ARE attached to their children BEFORE they are born. You carry this precious miracle from God in your body for 9 months, and it is your responsibility as a parent to do everything you can to care for and protect the life of that child. I had 16 days, wonderful days with my daughter before her heart surgery...by the grace of God, and the use of modern medicine. She is now 2, and we are preparing for her valve replacements, which will be biological. Meaning if they can't find a compatible human donor, the valves will either come from a pig or cow. I truly believe if God, the creater of everything, did not want humans to use animals organs as a way to save humans lives, he 1) would not have created animals to have similar organs as humans and 2) he would not have given man the intellect to be able to make such a discovery. Realist made an excellent statement that God gave 'us'..humans...dominion over everything. While I don't agree with people killing animals for the sport, or to make fur coats,etc. How is animal research to save a human life any worse than killing an animal for food? I mean, did God not put animals on the earth as a source of food for humans? Do animals not kill other animals in the great chain of life? Humans choose to donate their organs after death, to save other humans. If animals had the capacity to feel/think like humans, I am sure they would feel just as honored to know their life served a greater purpose...that they saved a life.

I really hope one day humans stop treating nature with the same disrespect that they treat themselves. It is disgusting to think that the sacrifice of a healthy animals life is really justified by extending the life of a human baby by a mere 21 days. I do think controlled animal experiments and sacrifice is necessary for the advance of medicine and science in general, but surely not for 21 days of life. But, of course, where do we draw the line? Would a year be worth it? Maybe this is a question we really shouldn't be introducing religion into, for it will only create a fervent species-centrism into the mix, which has no place whatsoever in a scientific investigation, for it will only lead to the needless pain and suffering of innocent creatures - that god created! Modern science and knowledge tells us these creatures experience pain in a way exactly or very similar to our own perceptions, they just don't communicate it the same as we do (have you ever hurt an animal on accident?, I think it's farely obvious that it experiences pain). Let's leave the bronze age mentality at the door, shall we?

I really hope one day humans stop treating nature with the same disrespect that they treat themselves. It is disgusting to think that the sacrifice of a healthy animals life is really justified by extending the life of a human baby by a mere 21 days. I do think controlled animal experiments and sacrifice is necessary for the advance of medicine and science in general, but surely not for 21 days of life. But, of course, where do we draw the line? Would a year be worth it? Maybe this is a question we really shouldn't be introducing religion into, for it will only add a fervent species-centrism into the mix, which has no place whatsoever in a scientific investigation, for it will only lead to the needless pain and suffering of innocent creatures. We now know these creatures experience pain in a way exactly or very similar to our own perceptions. Let's leave the bronze age mentality at the door, shall we?

I can only speak for myself, but as the father of two boys I would personally kill every animal on the planet if it would give my kids 21 days more life. I am not saying that this is a logical argument, but you cannot blame the parents for putting their child's life over that of an animal.

Some people on here make me sick. The fact that you would never hurt an animal so save your own child or at least give him some more time to live makes my stomach churn with hate. Mixing religion with science is like mixing water and oil people, THEY DONT MIX. All this ranting about throwing GOD in the subject and saying that GOD meant to be it this way is bullshit. Lighten up people, we have always used animals for research, that isnt going to change anything. Religion was created by the wealthy who feed of imbeciles like you. In case you missed the memo, Religion rakes in more money than the Tabacco and Porn industries.

Thanks to people like Dr. Leonard who paved the way for kids who can now live a healthy life because of Leonards research.

The extent of brutality, cruelty and purposely inflicted torture, suffering and murder upon innocent, helpless animals in research is nothing but legalized animal cruelty. Shame on our citizens and government for allowing such vile, depraved abuse of billions of creatures.

The extent of brutality, cruelty and purposely inflicted torture, suffering and murder upon innocent, helpless animals in research is nothing but legalized animal cruelty. Shame on our citizens and government for allowing such vile, depraved abuse of billions of creatures.

The extent of brutality, cruelty and purposely inflicted torture, suffering and murder upon innocent, helpless animals in research is nothing but legalized animal cruelty. Shame on our citizens and government for allowing such vile, depraved abuse of billions of creatures.

I know the father of Baby Fae, I met him 5 years after the she passed away. He's still very torn up about his daughter, but not one time has he been sorry for what he and the mother decided to do. It's hard to live with the loss of a child so people need to be more understanding why they made the decision that they did. IT'S CALLED HOPE, and thats what the parents were doing, hoping that the surgery would work.

I feel like the doctors were just using Baby Fae as an experiment. I'm pretty sure that they knew that Fae had little chance of surviving, but they decided to do it anyway as "research".

They didn't even look for a human heart for Baby Fae first.

I do believe that animal rights are valueable, but I'm not a vegetarian...but that baboon died...AND Baby Fae died. If the baboon could have helped Baby Fae live, I would have looked at it differently.

I am really surprised that some of you ARFs haven't tried to explain how you came to believe that animals are equal to humans..how you came to let emotion take precedence over common sense and how you came to have such a low opinion of yourself that you think any animal is your peer..it seems to me that if your beliefs are as correct as you think they are that you could enlighten the rest of us in a calm and logical manner without using words like dumb and stupid.Can you? Any of you? We're waiting..

Hey! Don't even say that! I think animal should be treated just as well as a human. Emotions are difficult things but you know, that little babboon could have lived when the *possibility* of life was low for Baby Fae! A scientific discorvery or an evil idea? Perhaps both. But little baby Fae had a chance at least.

@Anonymous #1:

Those doctors are just as much gods as you, I, and everyone else reading this article. The only difference between us and you is that we're trying to live up to our potential.