In a video, 8-year-old Allison Cisneros Mendez asks whoever is watching, "I need your help."
Mendez is from Panama and was diagnosed with Type B Leukemia, an aggressive stage of blood cancer.
She and her mother Diana came to Miami with the help of The Children in Action non-profit organization, which funded their stay.
They traveled to see a doctor at Holtz Children's Hospital. But while they were in town, Mendez's health became much worse.
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“She had to be brought by emergency, she couldn’t walk. Now, this has took a turn for the worse. She needs a little more treatment," said Zoe Prieto, who is the president of Children in Action.
Diana says doctors told her more than 90% of Allison’s cells are cancerous. Her only option is a bone marrow transplant – which can be a $600,000 treatment.
“It’s super expensive," Prieto said.
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The Children in Action organization says they are taking donations to help Allision receive the life-saving treatment.
"So I’m pleading for you guys to help her. Any little bit counts," says Prieto.
Holtz Children's Hospital released this statement: “Holtz Children’s Hospital evaluates a patient’s eligibility to receive a bone marrow transplant based on several factors, including the medical diagnosis and need, insurance coverage, and the ability to maintain critical and costly post-surgical care and medications. In the case of Allison Cisneros Mendez, our team has met with the patient’s mother to discuss the child’s diagnosis, the cost of treatment and surgery, the follow-up medical care, and have provided guidance regarding their options and alternatives."
Jackson Health System added, "Our hearts go out to this family. As a public hospital system owned by Miami-Dade taxpayers, Jackson Health System can only provide complex care for uninsured patients if they are residents of Miami-Dade County. Jackson does not have the authority or the budget to treat uninsured patients from other communities. Doing so would set a precedent and could bring countless needy cases from around the world, overwhelming our capacity to serve our mission at home.”
