Baby Torres, whose mom, Susan, suffered a stroke at 17 weeks pregnant and is in a coma, is alive and kicking. The Arlington (Va.) Catholic Herald reports:

It has been nearly eight weeks since Susan Torres (pictured at right with her oldest son) was rushed to the hospital after she suffered a stroke caused by melanoma cancer. For eight weeks, despite her brain damage, she has been closely monitored and kept alive for the sake of her unborn baby. And after eight weeks, baby Torres is alive and kicking — quite literally.

According to Mercy Schlapp, a friend of the Torres family, Jason Torres felt his child kick for the first time on June 20.

But the battle for the child’s life is far from over. Twenty-five weeks gestation is the earliest that a baby can survive an early delivery, and this is Susan’s 21st week of pregnancy. The family hopes to wait until 30 weeks before delivering. Right now, the cancer has spread to Susan’s lymph nodes, but the baby is in no immediate danger, said Schlapp.

You can donate to the Susan Torres fund, which Frank J. at IMAO first brought to our attention, here. More info from the Catholic Herald:

Many people have been calling St. Rita Church, where Susan and her husband, Jason, are members, to find out what they can do to help. Father Donahue directs them to the fund established to help with medical expenses not covered by insurance. The bill is expected to be between $300,000 and $400,000, although this may rise depending on how long Susan is kept alive.

They also are asking for prayers, Father Donahue said.

“We’ve been taking care of them spiritually, as a parish family should,” he said.

The fund was set up by the Knights of Columbus from St. Leo Parish, of which Jason is a member. On June 10, the fund was placed online and people are now able to make donations through PayPal. The Web site has had more than 25,000 hits.

Before it was placed online, the fund had collected $50,000. Since it was put online, they have received another $30,000, and they are expecting an equal amount from the mail.

“They have to empty the P.O. Box a couple of times a day now,” said Father Wooton. This gives him encouragement.

“Keep them in your prayers,” he said. “That’s the most important thing right now. We’ve got at least three weeks to go and hopefully five or six weeks.” Even if they make it to the delivery date, the baby will still need to be hospitalized after birth.

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