North Fork grandfather battles to save his grandchild

NORTH FORK, Calif. (KFSN) -- Any parent who's ever sat in a hospital while their child received life-saving care knows that sinking feeling of helplessness. That's what the family of 3-week-old Anastina McKee is facing. She is the granddaughter of a business owner in North Fork and is fighting for her life in a hospital in Guam.

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FRIDAY 6/18 UPDATE:
Because of donations from family and friends here in the U.S., Scott and Miira McKee were able to pay for mom and baby's medical airlift to a hospital in the Philippines. There Anastina's condition has stabilized.

In the mountain community of North Fork her grand dad and friends continue efforts to send financial support to Miira, Scott and their month old baby.
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Bob McKee owns the hardware store in the tiny town of North Fork about an hour north-east of Fresno. But since May 18th all his energy has been focused more than 6-thousand miles away on the island of Guam.

McKee said, "We're hoping this will all be pulled off somehow ... with a miracle."

It's needed for a tiny premature baby, his granddaughter, Anastina born three months premature in a hospital in Guam. She weighs a little more than 1 pound.

Scott McKee and wife Mirra met and married in Guam. Just a pair of Americans who found work there after the recession left them out of work here. Now with their insurance exhausted and the families back home tapped out they still don't qualify for any federal assistance there or here. And Anastina needs specialty care right now ...

Bob McKee said, "Yet they can't get the social assistance that anybody here in North Fork could get ... her vitals go up and down. And she's so tiny in the pictures on Facebook."

The congressional offices of Jim Costa and George Radanovich are among those working on the family's behalf trying to arrange a military mercy airlift to bring the baby to a Texas, hospital where Mire's dad, a preemie care doctor is waiting eagerly to help.

Their fallback plan is to raise enough money to pay for a medical lift to Manila ... and the closest hospital with facilities for preemies.

McKee said, "There are a lot of good people who've taken time out of their busy lives to help save my granddaughter ... I don't know what else to say."

6-thousand miles and 17 time zones away the mother and father of this little one are also hoping and praying for that miracle.

Two Americans stuck between a rock and very hard place.

If you'd are interested in sending a donation click the PayPal link and use this email address save.anastina@gmail.com.

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north fork, madera county, local, nancy osborne

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