Judge rules in favor of Pa. girl who needs lung
By Associated Press
Jun 5, 2013 4:20 PM CDT
In this May 30, 2013 photo provided by the Murnaghan family, Sarah Murnaghan, left, lies in her hospital bed next to adopted sister Ella on the 100th day of her stay in Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Hoping to get a lung transplant, the 10-year-old suburban Philadelphia girl has been hospitalized...   (Associated Press)

A federal judge in Philadelphia has made a dying 10-year-old eligible to seek donor lungs from an adult transplant list.

U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson says he is granting the temporary request because of the severity of Sarah Murnaghan's condition.

Her mother, Janet Murnaghan, says the family is thrilled by the ruling. It's in effect until a June 14 court hearing.

The 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.

Sarah's doctors believe they can perform a successful transplant with adult lungs.

Sarah has been hospitalized at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for three months with end-stage cystic fibrosis.

On Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius declined to intervene.

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