Janet Murnaghan says in a statement provided by a spokeswoman that her daughter, Sarah, "could not handle the reduced support" after the tube was removed Wednesday. She called the day "excruciating" and said it was "impossibly painful" watching her daughter struggle to breathe, so the girl was ultimately sedated and re-intubated.
Although she is still on breathing help, she is awake and was able to do some arm and leg exercises today.
Janet Murnaghan says doctors have assured the family that the day's events don't change Sarah's long-term prospects but just mean "she needs more time to regain her strength."
Sarah, who lives in Newtown Square, a Philadelphia suburb, suffers from severe cystic fibrosis. She underwent the transplant after a national debate over the organ allocation process.
