There are few things worse for a parent than seeing your child fall seriously ill.
As a mom or dad, all you want is to watch your children grow up happy and healthy.
The idea of standing by when they’re not, and not being able to do anything about it, is unbearable.
Kristen and Kyle Fernandez, from Missouri, have had a pretty tough start as parents.
Their two-year-old daughter Raeleigh is ill and needs advanced medical care.
As a result, in early July the family took their car and drove 400 miles from their home in O’Fallon, Missouri to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
All they wanted was to give their daughter the best care. The family was allowed to stay at the hospital for 10 days while little Raeleigh underwent several procedures.
Posted by Jessica Leigh Mason Effinger on Friday, February 1, 2019
The little girl received the first in a series of surgeries to help her breathing and remove the trach she currently uses, Kristen told WCPO.
Between the surgeries, Kristen and Kyle took their girl and did a lot of funny things – Raeleigh got to ride the SkyStar Ferris wheel, play outside and enjoy Cincinnati.
But one day something happened that shattered the family’s confidence in the world.
On Monday, someone stolen their family car, a white Nissan Pathfinder. The car was in the parking lot at the hotel where Kristen and Kyle lived.
“It’s hard to see someone taking a car that has handicapped plates, two car seats and a stroller in the back,” Kyle Fernandez said Wednesday. “Just kind of crazy.”
According to the hotel, the thieves were caught on camera. Surveillance photos showed how two people climbed into the parking lot and drove off with the car, 05.30 Monday morning.
Fortunately, the family had insurance, so they could rent a new car to get home. The Children’s Hospital loaned them a pair of car seats.
Posted by Jessica Leigh Mason Effinger on Tuesday, July 23, 2019
But other things are more difficult to replace. Raeleigh’s stroller, for example.
“We specifically got this stroller because it has so much space for her suction machine,” Kristen said.
But despite all the difficulties in the recent days, the family is doing well – especially 2-year-old Raeleigh.
“From day one, she’s been a fighter,” Kristen said. “Great personality. Goofy. Fun. (She’s) so easygoing, especially with everything she has going on.”
If you want to help the family, they have created a Facebook fundraiser to help replace Raeleigh’s stroller and other medical supplies, which they estimate will cost around $10,000.
[arve url=”https://assets.scrippsdigital.com/cms/videoIframe.html?&host=www.wcpo.com&title=Toddler’s%20family%20robbed%20while%20she%20recovers%20from%20surgery%20at%20Children’s&m3u8=https://content.uplynk.com/bd4517fe23694d26862c505e37905a0c.m3u8&purl=/news/local-news/kenton-county/covington/raeleighs-family-traveled-370-miles-so-she-could-be-treated-at-childrens-then-someone-robbed-them&story=0&ex=1&s=wcpo” /]
Sad. I pray the treatment for Raeleigh is going to out shine the horrible actions of thugs.
I hope things are recovered!
