In this May 30, 2013 photo provided by the Murnaghan family, Sarah Murnaghan, center, celebrates the 100th day of her stay in Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with her father, Fran, left, and mother, Janet. Hoping to get a lung transplant, the 10-year-old suburban Philadelphia girl has been hospitalized at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for three months with end-stage cystic fibrosis.PHILADELPHIA – A dying 10-year-old girl has become eligible to seek donor lungs from an adult transplant list, after a federal judge Wednesday granted her family’s emergency petition.
U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson granted the request because of the severity of Sarah Murnaghan’s condition, according to court documents filed after a brief hearing.
Her mother, Janet Murnaghan, said the family is thrilled by the ruling, which is in effect until a June 14 court hearing.
“We are beyond thrilled,” she said, adding, “Obviously we still need a match.”
The Newtown Square family is challenging organ transplant rules that say children under age 12 must wait for pediatric lungs to become available. The Murnaghans say that rarely happens, and they want the rule changed for all children in Sarah’s situation.