Susan Anne Catherine Torres, the five-week-old baby of Jason and Susan Torres, died at 12:01 a.m. Sept. 12 of heart failure following surgery for a perforated intestine at the Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC) in Washington, according to the hospital’s statement.

The child was born Aug. 2 after a three-month struggle to keep her mother alive. Susan Torres suffered brain damage from melanoma cancer in May and was kept on life support until the baby could be born. The mother died Aug. 3 after life support was removed.

"After the efforts of this summer to bring her into the world, this is obviously a devastating loss," said Justin Torres in the family’s statement. "We wish to thank all the people who sustained us in prayer over the past 17 weeks. It was our fondest wish that we could have been able to share Susan’s homecoming with the world."

Susan Anne Catherine was being cared for in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington. When first born, the premature baby was "vigorous" and many expected that she would survive despite her original due date being seven weeks away.

On Sept. 9, Susan was transferred to CNMC where she was treated for her intestinal problems. The disorder, necrotizing enterocolitis, caused an infection that "overwhelmed her tiny body, leading to multi-system organ failure," said a CNMC statement. "The team initially tried to medically stabilize her, but ultimately performed two surgeries. Unfortunately, she was too sick and fragile to recover."

Parishioners at St. Rita Parish in Alexandria, heard the news at Mass on Monday morning and immediately offered prayers for the child and the family.

"At this painful moment of redoubled loss, we commend Jason and the entire Torres family to the Lord in prayer," said Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde. "Confident that Susan Anne Catherine Torres is already reunited with her mother, we thank the Lord for their witness and for the gift of their courageous lives. May the Lord draw close to the Torres family at this time and provide them with comfort and peace where words fail."