Stephanie Keene,[1] better known by the pseudonym Baby K, was born at Fairfax Hospital in Virginia, USA. At the time of her birth, she was missing most of her brain, including the cortex; only the brainstem had developed during pregnancy, the portion of the brain responsible for autonomic and regulatory functions, such as the control of respiration, the heartbeat and blood pressure.[2] The baby's mother had been notified of her condition following an ultrasound,[1] and had been advised to terminate the pregnancy by her obstetrician and neonatologist[3] but chose to carry the child to term because of "a firm Christian faith that all life should be protected".[4] The hospital's viewpoint was that care provided to the baby would be futile.[4] The mother's viewpoint was that mechanical breathing support must be provided during the baby's periodic respiratory crises.[5] Fairfax Hospital doctors strongly advised a do not resuscitate order for the child, which the mother refused. Stephanie remained on ventilator support for 6 weeks while Fairfax searched for another hospital to which to transfer, but no other hospital was willing to accept her. After the baby was weaned off constant ventilator support, the mother agreed to move the child to a nursing facility, but the baby returned to the hospital many times for respiratory problems.