A thirty-eight-day-old infant born with 'mermaid syndrome' died on December 17 in Hunan Provincial Children's hospital, despite doctor's best efforts to save him, the Xiao Xiang Morning Herald reported Monday.

During his momentary life in this world, the boy felt nothing but suffering. 'Mermaid syndrome' Sirenomelia, or 'mermaid syndrome' is a rare medical condition in which an infant is born with both legs joined together from the ankles to the pelvis, and this boy was the first known case in China. He was born without kidneys or a urinary tract, in addition to heart problems.

The baby with "mermaid syndrome" is under intensive care in Hunan Provincial Children's Hospital in Changsha in this undated photo. [San Xiang City Daily]

The boy was found at the door of the clinic of the hospital on November 12, along with a piece of paper with his birthday written on it, which indicates he had been abandoned by his parents.

After hearing about the boy's condition, hospital director Professor Zhu Yimin ordered hospital staff to do everything possible to save his life. "The boy has his right to live, and no one can take that away," Zhu told the paper.

Surgeons and nurses taking care of the infant became emotionally attached to the boy. Xiong Liang, a nurse in the intensive care unit wrote in her diary "once when I touched him, I felt one of his toes moving," and "a friend of mine asked what I wanted most for the boy and I said I wished his parents would come to see him."

However, now that the boy has died, Xiong's wish for him will never come true.

The case has stirred controversy about whether it is appropriate for terminally ill or terminally deformed babies to receive euthanasia.

Some netizens believe it would have been better for the boy to die earlier and not to have suffered so much, to which Fang Xiang, an expert with the Hunan Provincial Academy of Social Science, shook his head.

Related readings: Doctors try to save 'mermaid' baby 'Mermaid' boy in better shape after first operation 'Mermaid' boy at risk of death

"Who can say whether the boy is destined to die and would never be cured?" Fang asked. "It's a positive move when we treat him even if it's for medical knowledge."

"Although he didn't make it, it's already a miracle that he lived for so long," Zhu said.

It has been an alarming signal to the human being that such defective babies appeared. "Society should establish a salvage system for infants born with abnormalities and provide proper medical treatment," Zhu said.