Sarah Murnaghan, the 10-year-old girl who had both of her lungs transplanted with a pair of adult organs, is suffering from pneumonia.
The little Pennsylvanian girl had her lung transplants last June after her parents sued to change national policies on organ donations.
According to Businessweek, Sarah was diagnosed with end-stage cystic fibrosis - a chronic genetic disorder where sticky mucus build up in different organs of the body, including the lungs. Due to her condition, the young girl from Newton Square was put at the top of the list for child organ receivers; however, at that time none was available.
Her parents pushed for a change in transplant policies, and with the intervention of a judge, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network included Sarah in the adult list of 12 years and older organ donor receivers.
Now, the parents of Sarah have announced on Facebook that their little girl has developed pneumonia -- a "set back" to her full recovery.
"Yesterday was tough," Sarah's mother Janet Murnaghan wrote on the social networking site, reports ABC News. "Today she is more stable, but this is definitely a large set back."
Officials at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where Sarah is being treated, declined to comment on her current state.
Since her transplant on June 12, many debates and questions were raised on the national policies for transplants. Many questioned the development of the rules and on what circumstances can these policies be bent for the patient.
According to ABC, the 10-year-old also underwent a diaphragm surgery last week due to paralysis of the organ, making it hard for her to breathe as it prevents the lugs from fully expanding.
Reports say lung transplants do not cure cystic fibrosis, but it could extend a patient's life.
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