A missing 11-year-old leukemia patient who was taken by her mother from the cancer ward is alive in Mexico.
Police have been looking for Emily Bracamontes since November when surveillance video showed her and her mother, Norma Bracamontes, walking out of the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
Emily had been in the hospital, receiving treatment for leukemia. A chest catheter was placed into Emily’s heart, and her right arm was recently amputated due to infection. When Emily left the hospital, the catheter was still in her heart.
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Medical personnel were concerned that if the catheter was not medically removed, it could potentially become infected, leading to her death.
Emily’s parents said they took her out of the hospital because they claimed they were pressured to pay for Emily’s mounting medical bills. They said she’s being treated by doctors in Mexico.
“She’s happy,” Norma Bracamontes told NBC’s Today. “She’s getting better.”
Emily said she doesn’t have a problem with what her mother did.
“My mom’s only trying to save my life,” she said. “She doesn’t want me to die in the hospital.”
Hospital officials released a statement saying “We steadfastly disagree with the assertions brought forth regarding the quality of care Emily received. … Emily’s health and well-being continues to be our primary concern.”
While officials say it’s not a crime for a parent to walk their child out of a hospital, it’s against the law to not provide medical aid to a child facing a life-threatening situation.
