Italian baby dies a year after record eight-organ transplant in US

ROME, Dec 13 (AFP) - An Italian baby girl who underwent a record eight organ transplants a year ago in the United States has died a month after returning home, hospital officials said Thursday.
The girl, Alessia, had received a new liver, stomach, pancreas, small and large intestines, spleen and two kidneys in a Miami hospital when she was barely six months old. Subsequently she had another kidney transplant.
She had been diagnosed with an illness called 'smooth muscle' condition, a malfunction of the digestive system that is potentially fatal.
Alessia developed complications late last year, and was repatriated to Italy in early December. Since then, her condition deteriorated and she died in a Genoa hospital on Wednesday.
The procedure cost 375,000 dollars (283,000 euros), most of which came from government aid, as well as private donations.

01/13/2005 14:59 GMT - AFP