Gregory Robinson
A critically ill four-year-old girl who was ordered to leave the US has received a positive update.
The four-year-old girl and her mother, Deysi Vargas, arrived in the US legally in July 2023 for treatment. She was born with short bowel syndrome, a life-threatening condition that affects the small intestine and causes problems absorbing nutrients. She uses a backpack that feeds her nutrients she is unable to absorb naturally.
This cutting-edge treatment is only available in the US and they were granted to stay in the country for two years.
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However, the family were given the unexpected news in April this year that they would have to leave the US. Three months into President Donald Trump’s presidency, the family received a letter saying their humanitarian parole was being revoked and they would have to return to Mexico immediately. The notice revoking their parole and work authorization came from the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump, who has maintained a tough stance on immigration, signed a slew of executive orders in a bid to remove 'illegal aliens' from the country as he returned to the White House.
Lawyers for the family warned that the girl, who is identified by the pseudonym Sofia, could die ‘within days’ if her treatment stopped.
“If they deport us and take away my daughter’s access to her specialized care, she will die,” Vargas said in Spanish at a news conference last week.
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The family's lawyer, Rebecca Brown, from the pro bono legal organisation Public Counsel wrote to officials to plead the family’s case, and now the girl and her mother have been given a year’s reprieve.
Brown said: "This is a textbook example of medical need. This child will die and there's no sense for that to happen. It would just be a cruel sacrifice."
She added that doctors said Sofia 'will die within a matter of days' if her treatment is discontinued. A GoFundMe that was launched in support of Sofia’s case seeks financial support to help cover Sofia's treatment costs as the family navigates the 'uncertain' time.
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It resolves: "Due to unexpected changes in our circumstances, we're navigating an urgent situation that could impact Sofia's continued medical treatment at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
"Any support during this uncertain and difficult time would mean the world to us and help us stay focused on her care."