New York/Toronto  - The parents of a two-month-old baby wanted to donate the heart of their severely brain-damaged daughter for another baby, but physicians in Toronto cancelled the transplant at the last minute.

The reason was the strength of Baby Kaylee's heart and lungs. The baby continued to breathe without the respirator, the Toronto Star reported on Wednesday.

"We assess the situation on a moment-by-moment, day-by-day basis," chief surgeon James Wright told reporters outside the Hospital for Sick Children. "But given that she's breathed on her own overnight, it doesn't appear as if she'll be a candidate for transplantation."

A one-month-old baby had been prepared to receive the heart on Wednesday. Physicians discovered how strong Kaylee was when they disconnected her from the respirator on Tuesday evening in preparation for the operation.

Kaylee was born with Joubert Syndrome, a malformation of the brain and brain stem that can prevent her from breathing, the Star reported. Doctors said there is no hope for recovery from the malformation, but the longer she stays alive the more her heart could be damaged and become unsuitable as a donated organ. (dpa)