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Star of the Week

AMC Features

Child Endangerment

Zach and Kendall are worried sick over their little one, Ian (born dangerously premature) — but they're just the latest in a long line of Pine Valley parents whose precious offspring have faced awful health crises ... some fatal.

— ABC

Bianca Montgomery:
While pregnant with Bianca, her daughter with Travis (Larkin Malloy), in 1988, Erica (Susan Lucci) contracted toxemia and nearly died. She delivered a healthy baby girl, but in 1990, Binks (Caroline Wilde) became very ill with Reye's syndrome after ingesting some aspirin that Travis gave her. Erica, who was engaged to Jack at the time, reconciled with Travis for Bianca's sake.

— ABC

Beth Martin:
Anne (Judith Bancroft) and Paul (William Mooney) were devastated when, during her 1976 pregnancy with Beth, Anne was struck with toxoplasmosis. Beth was born with severe mental retardation and tragically, in 1977, she passed away in her sleep, a victim of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

— HEIDI GUTMAN/ABC

Spike Lavery:
With mom Kendall (Alicia Minshew) in a coma in the late stages of pregnancy, things were touch-and-go for Spike, who had to be delivered via emergency C-section in 2006. He pulled through, much to Kendall and dad Ryan's (Cameron Mathison) relief.

— VIRGINIA SHERWOOD/ABC

Leora Hayward:
In 2003, Anna (Finola Hughes, with Alicia Minshew as Kendall) gave birth prematurely to a baby girl that she and the child's father, David, named after his late brother, Leo. Leora had a cardiac condition and Anna pushed David to allow the newborn to undergo surgery. Tragically, she didn't survive the operation.

— ABC

Molly Montgomery:
Molly, the product of an affair between Travis and Barbara (Susan Pratt, with Richard Shoberg as Tom), was born in 1989 and diagnosed with leukemia the following year. Even though they were married to other people (he to Erica, she to Tom), Travis and Barbara slept together in the hopes of conceiving a child whose bone marrow would match Molly's. The son Barbara birthed, Matthew Sean (now known as Sean), was indeed a match and Molly made a full recovery.

— STEVE FENN/ABC

Lorenzo "Enzo" Santos:
Hayley (Kelly Ripa) and Mateo (Mark Consuelos) were overjoyed by the 2001 birth of their son, Enzo, who became sick in 2002 and required a liver transplant. Hayley's cousin Tim Dillon proved to be a suitable donor and Enzo recuperated.

— ABC

Baby Tyler:
Donna (Candice Earley) was thrilled when, in 1979, she learned that she was carrying hubby Chuck's (Richard Van Vleet) baby. Chuck's enthusiasm didn't quite match hers, as he was still in love with Tara (who'd chosen Phil over him). Chuck did, however, share Donna's grief when their child was stillborn.

— ABC

Joseph "Joey" Martin, Jr.:
In 1979, Ruth and Joe, who were in their seventh year of marriage and had grown kids from their first unions (and a son, Tad, whom they'd adopted together), learned that they were expecting a baby. They were worried about the risks inherent in her later-in-life pregnancy — and deeply relieved when they welcomed a healthy son, Joseph, Jr., who became known as Joey and later, Jake.

— ANN LIMONGELLO/ABC

Baby Chandler:
Liza (Marcy Walker) and her heir-obsessed husband, Adam (David Canary), looked forward to the 1997 birth of their baby, but while on a TransGlobal flight that experienced turbulence, Liza went into premature labor and delivered a stillborn child. Grief-stricken Liza became estranged from Adam when she learned that he owned the airlines and his cost-cutting measures had imperiled her flight. Their relationship improved when Liza discovered that fifth disease had actually caused her miscarriage.

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