Out Of Tragedy, Baby Born, Lives Saved -- Woman Is Kept On Life Support 7 Weeks -- Out Of Tragedy, Baby Born, Lives Saved -- Woman Is Kept On Life Support 7 Weeks

How to help the family

The McDowells' church is establishing a trust fund for the children. Donations may be sent to the McDowell Memorial Fund at Grandview Church of the Nazarene, P.O. Box 370, Grandview, WA 98930.

A healthy baby boy has been delivered at the University of Washington Medical Center to a brain-dead woman who was maintained on life support for seven weeks. The woman's heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas and corneas were donated to other patients.

Hospital officials announced today that Peggy McDowell, 36, of Prosser, Benton County, died after the delivery and organ donation Dec. 1. The mother of three other young children, she had suffered a brain aneurysm and was flown to the medical center in October.

McDowell was maintained on mechanical life support until she reached 32 weeks gestation and the baby could survive. The boy was delivered by Caesarean section and weighed 3 pounds, 14 ounces.

"He's doing really well. There are a few usual problems for (a premature baby), but he's doing fine," said Dr. Thomas Easterling, UW associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, who managed the case.

Easterling said such a case is very rare and presented special challenges because McDowell's brain was not functioning at all.

Her blood pressure was maintained by medication and had to be checked every 10 minutes. Her pituitary gland, the major regulator of hormones, stopped functioning early on, and hormones had to be given intravenously. Her fluids also had to be closely monitored because the pituitary gland controls that function through a hormone.

"The neurosurgeons kept telling us she was going to die," said Easterling.

Maintaining McDowell for so long meant the baby has better than a 95 percent chance of survival, rather than 60 to 70 percent had he been delivered earlier. Easterling credited nurses in the intensive care unit with the difficult hour-to-hour, day-to-day monitoring.

McDowell's family had a difficult challenge, especially her children.

"They were visiting her and she was dead, only she wasn't dead," Easterling said. "They were involved in the whole process."

Dr. Christine Gleason, UW director of neonatology, said the baby will be transferred tomorrow to Kadlec Medical Center in Richland.

The baby's father, Ed McDowell, a miner and trapper, said: "We named him Joshua Moses, because he is a miracle baby. The doctors thought Peggy's heart might not last more than 72 hours, but they were able to maintain her for seven weeks."

McDowell made the decision with his children to donate the organs. The children are Eddie Jr., 10; Charlie, 7; and Laura, 6.

"Peggy wanted to be an organ donor if the worst ever happened," said McDowell. "The realization that four other lives were saved and that someone's vision was restored is going to help our family healing process. It makes us feel that some good has come out of this.

"First we prayed that God would bring her back. That didn't happen, but our prayers for a healthy baby were answered. Now we've been praying for the people who received the organs. So many people need organs, and there is just not nearly enough donors."

The delivery is the first such case in 10 years at UW Medical Center. Dr. Tom Benedetti, UW professor of obstetrics and gynecology, said a Yakima woman who was severely brain injured in a 1989 auto accident was supported for 22 weeks and delivered a healthy child.

Warren King's phone: 206-464-2247. E-mail: wking@seattletimes.com