Chandler mom needs help to get her baby to Philadelphia for life-saving treatment

CHANDLER, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - Seven-month-old Angelise has spent her entire life in a hospital. First, she was diagnosed with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, a condition that impacts her breathing. Now, she is dealing with more complications: a lymphatic leak in her chest. “It hurts because I see other babies that are her age and they are moving, active and eating food. It does hurt because that could be her,” said her mom Josefina Hernandez.

Angelise has been getting treatment at Phoenix Children’s Hospital but Hernandez said doctors there can’t help her anymore. Her only hope now is traveling to Philadelphia, where a specialist can treat her. But Hernandez said insurance hasn’t approved coverage for the medical flight. “They seem to not be cooperating or not giving us any updates. We have been waiting since January,” said Hernandez. “As the days we are waiting, she is getting worse.”

She now asks people to donate to a GoFundMe page, hoping to raise enough money to the baby Angelise the help she needs thousands of miles away. “It has been a long road. I did lose a baby previously, so it has been a tough road. I don’t want to have to end her life here,” said Hernandez.

Copyright 2023 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.