Missing Girl Removed from Cancer Ward by Mother

Authorities are on the lookout for an 11-year-old girl who was removed from a cancer ward last Wednesday in Phoenix, saying that if the girl is not given proper medical care, she could die. 

Identified only as "Emily," the girl has been undergoing treatment for leukemia for more than a month at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Surveillance cameras captured footage of her mother, "Norma," and brother escorting her out of the ward with an IV attached to a chest catheter. The three went into a hospital restroom and emerged with Emily in different clothes and the catheter removed. 

Emily and her family have not been heard from since, which has the hospital greatly concerned. 

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An improperly removed chest catheter raises the risk of infection and the possibilty of releasing blood clots into her system – potentially fatal if they reach her heart or lungs. 

Emily, who was scheduled to be released from the hospital the day after she disappeared, has already had one arm amputated because of infection. 

Health care providers worry that a prolonged break in her treatment for leukemia could also put her at grave risk. 

“The most important thing, no matter what has happened, is that the child gets seen as soon as possible,” Dr. Theodore Moore, chief of pediatric hematology, oncology, and bone marrow transplant at the Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA, told Today.com. 

Authorities have notified the surrounding community to Emily's disappearance urging everyone who may come in contact with her to ensure she receives proper care.