A 14-year old American girl was kept alive for 118 days without a heart while waiting for a second heart transplant at a hospital in Florida; surgeons fitted a custom-made artificial heart after removing the first transplanted heart in July this year.

D'Zhana Simmons, who lives in South Carolina, had her first heart transplant on 2nd July at Holtz Children's Hospital at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center. But the new heart did not function correctly and was removed two days later, which is when she was implanted with an artificial heart made of two heart pumps to keep her alive until a second donor heart could be found.

A statement from the hospital said they believe D'Zhana is the first child to survive without a heart in this way, with an artificial device keeping the circulation going.

According to a Reuter's report, D'Zhana's doctors told the press that they knew of another case where an adult in Germany was kept alive for nine months on an artificial heart.

Director of cardiac surgery at UM/Holtz, Dr Marco Ricci told reporters that D'Zhana:

"Essentially lived for 118 days without a heart, with her circulation supported only by the two blood pumps."

D'Zhanam who was barely able to walk around without assistance during those four months, told reporters that she found the experience "scary" and that she never knew when the artificial heart would malfunction. She said felt like a "fake person", living without a heart.