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McKee baby fights for life in Manila

By Volney Dunavan / Community Correspondent

(Updated: Thursday, July 01, 2010, 2:57 PM)

A tiny baby girl lies in an incubator in a neonatal unit in St. Luke's Hospital in Manila. Her mom, Miira McKee, is by her side but because medical bills are mounting, her dad Scott McKee is back in Guam, working at a job 7,000 miles away from his hometown of North Fork.

Born three months premature on the 212 square mile United States territory of Guam did not bode well for Anastina Linkhart McKee who entered the world May 18, weighing 1.98 pounds.

Her parents, maternal grandparents in Texas, Grandpa Bob McKee of North Fork and Grandma Jan MacKee of Fresno along with great grandparents Bob and Loretta McKee of North Fork, are all trying to help Anastina as she fights for her life against hydrocephalus -- water on the brain -- as well as other life threatening medical conditions.

As a premature baby, Anastina required specialized treatment not available in Guam. Commercial airlines and military transport declined to take the baby in her incubator from Guam to Manila where St. Luke's had accepted her as a neonatal patient.

Miira McKee's begging got the private airline CareJet to lower the $45,000 one-way cost to $20,000, which family and friends were able -- at great hardship -- to pull together.

As is typical for a new baby, Anastina dropped to a low weight of 1.43 pounds. Last week she was responding well to antibiotics given for her multiple infections, and has grown to what seems a whopping 2.33 pounds.

According to reports, she is breathing better and seems "more active and wiggly" according to family friend and adopted aunt, Jennifer Noble.

Projected costs to treat a premature baby are $300,000 to $400,000. The family's medical insurance has almost capped and no known financial aid programs cover U.S. territories; acceptance requires a person to actually be in one of the 50 states. Grandpa Bob McKee has been trying to access a mercy flight, but even with the help of four congressmen it wasn't possible. North Fork activist Sarah Rah has heard about Anastina and is also helping with networking expertise.

Doug Dearing at Yosemite Bank in Oakhurst has set up an account for Anastina (401009337) and Sierra Vista Presbyterian Church in Oakhurst gave a sizable donation. St. Vincent de Paul in Houston read about Anastina on-line and sent a donation to her bank account.

"One person bought a stick of candy and gave me $20 for it ... and for Anastina," Grandpa Bob McKee said.

The generosity of folks is amazing, he said.

At press time, between $4,000 and $5,000 have been raised for medical expenses and also for the transport that will ultimately take Anastina home to Guam or Texas, where her maternal grandparents have secured free medical care for her with the neonatal doctors at the hospital where they work in San Antonio.

Anastina will need to remain at St. Luke's for up to two months to stabilize and gain weight.

The McKees are long time North Fork residents who usually are on the giving end of things. Rather than being helpless, they are actively looking for ways to help their family who is almost 7,000 miles away.

Donations can be presented or sent to Yosemite Bank, attention Doug Dearing, 40061 Highway 49, Oakhurst 93644.

Donations can also be left with Grandpa Bob McKee at North Fork Hardware. PayPal is available at Save.Anastina@gmail.com.

Details: Bob McKee, (559) 877-2332.