Jahi McMath: Family trying to raise money to get 13-year-old airlifted out of state
By Elisabeth Nardi


Contra Costa Times

POSTED: 12/28/2013 08:30:50 AM PST | UPDATED: 7 MIN. AGO

On Friday, Jahi's mother Nailah Winkfield created the "Jahi McMath Fund" on popular fundraising web site Go Fund Me.

On the site, Winkfield writes: "I am raising money for my daughter Jahi McMath so that she can be airlifted to a hospital out of state. Her insurance does not cover it and Children's Hospital is going to remove her off life support if can't get her out of this hospital."

The possibility of an out-of-state hospital differs from reports earlier Friday when Jahi's family and attorney said that there was a long-term care facility in Southern California that would take her. Early Saturday morning no one could be reached for comment.

Jahi underwent tonsil surgery and two other procedures to remove tissue from her nose and throat, to treat her sleep apnea. Complications following the operation resulted in loss of all brain function, according to six doctors who evaluated her. Jahi has been on a ventilator at Children's Hospital Oakland ever since.

So far the fund has raised more than $3,100 from 121 donors. The goal is to raise $20,000. Some donors have left messages on the site saying their prayers are with the family and donations seem to be coming from all over the country with one woman saying she was from New Mexico. Many on the site urged Winkfield to keep fighting saying miracles can happen.

"Children recover every day from brain injury she just needs a chance! Praying for your family," read one post from Kathy Clark.

The family faces a court-ordered 5 p.m. Monday deadline to pull Jahi off her ventilator at Children's Hospital. Jahi's family does not accept that she is dead and has been scrambling to find a long-term care facility. But hospital officials said Friday while it would send the girl to such a facility it wouldn't install a trachea or gastric feeding tube necessary for such a transfer.

Other experts say it might be hard for the family to find any doctor to perform the procedures on Jahi with her brain-dead status.

To view the fundraising page visit www.gofundme.com/jahi-mcmath or contact the family at Jahi McMath, P.O. Box 5128, Oakland, CA 94605-0128.

Contact Elisabeth Nardi at 925-952-2617. Follow her at Twitter.com/enardi10.



this one contradicts the other.