Ulcerative Colitis

Ana became a national rallying point to help undocumented children in need of an organ transplant due to life-threatening illnesses.

In a powerful way, her case revealed the harsh reality of seriously ill children of undocumented parents who do not have access to federal aid and lack adequate health insurance.

This issue now has become part of the national debate regarding immigration reform and how the United States must deal with more than 11 million undocumented people currently living in the country.

Ana was undocumented in the United States.

Her mother emigrated with her from Aguascalientes, Mexico, and settled in Chicago in 1992.

Although Children's Memorial Hospital treated Ana's liver disease for two years, the hospital could not perform the $500,000 surgery because Medicaid would not reimburse the amount.

Emergency and medical care are provided to undocumented people under the Social Security Act of 1997, but the law does not cover organ transplants.

That sparked one of the most amazing community efforts to save a child's life regardless of her immigration status.

In April of 2001, the Spanish language weekly Exito, owned by Tribune Co.

and the predecessor of the daily Hoy Chicago, published Ana's photograph on the cover with ...

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