Child who lived 118 days without heart, faces world

WITHOUT A HEART: D'zhana Simmons, the patient and Dr Marco Ricci from Miami seem to have pulled off a miracle in transplant

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Miami: A 14-year- girl who lived without a heart for several months was released from a Miami hospital after a successful transplant.

Earlier attempts to give D'Zhana Simmons a heart had failed. She had been living on the artificial blood pumping device for 118 days - the longest any child has survived without a human heart. According to doctors, D'Zhana's new heart, which was implanted a month ago, is working well.

Dr. Marco Ricci, director of Paediatric Cardiac Surgery St Holtz Childrens Hospital of the University of Miami Jackson Memorial Medical Center told how the custom-made artificial total heart used by D'Zhana Simmons works, during a news conference in Miami, Wednesday, November 19, 2008.

Fourteen year old D'Zhana Simmons of Clinton had two heart transplants and survived with artificial heart pumps -- but no heart -- for four months between the transplants.

Fourteen year old D'Zhana Simmons got emotiional at the press conference in Miami.

D'Zhana was kept alive for 118 days with a custom-made total artificial heart while awaiting a second transplant at Holtz Children Hospital on the University of Miami Memorial Medical Center.

She is believed to be the first pediatric patient to survive without a heart while her circulation was supported with the unique device.

(Photo and inputs from AP)